Love Not Twice
by jasderoanddavid5012
Summary: Hades has killed Shun and dragged him to the underworld for his revenge against Athena, and despite his promises to remain Athena's loyal saint, he's found himself falling in love with the rouge god. But Shun also loves Seiya. Now with this loyalties pulling him apart, Shun must make a choice. Will he join Hades or Athena? And what happens when a new, more powerful enemy appears?
1. Death Comes Not Slowly

_Darkness and Hunger._

_Shun paused, his breathing becoming heavy. He had always felt this looming prescience. __And now it was catching up to him. He had tried to hide it from his friends and his __brother, but it was impossible now. He couldn't find the will to keep running._

_He also realized with a dull ache, that if the stories were true about what was happening now, then he would never get to see his friends or his brother again. He suddenly forgot all about the things they had said only moments ago that had wounded him. He could only remember that he had been angry and said things he had never meant. He had parted terribly with his friends and his brother, and that was more of a wound than he could ever hope to patch in his heart._

_Darkness and Hunger. _

_He could feel it in those age old eyes. They were full of the darkness of death, but looking for something to fill his aching heart. Those eyes made him pause. Why did they call to him so? He shuddered, and paused, trying to decide if he should run or not._

He knew that this was all in his head. He was imagining everything that was happening, and yet to him and his pursuer it was the only reality. He could hear Athena calling him, asking him to hold on. He had collapsed while he was talking to her. He burned as if with a fever, and he kept screaming, crying aloud with the terror he felt as he ran from the phantom in his mind, but that terror sounded like agony. She didn't know what was going on, but she was calling for help. It wouldn't be long before someone heard her. But Shun would find no help. He was lost in the wilderness of his mind. Shun heard several saints as they approached, calling and asking what was wrong. There was nothing but chaos as they tried to figure out the problem.

"_Come here child." The voice in his mind whispered. Shun shuddered, fighting against the alluring sound of his voice. He could see the man, tall with broad shoulders and hair and eyes as black as the night_.

He heard himself scream again, and he felt himself begin to tremble. Outside of his mind he heard clearly as several people began to speak.

"What's going on?" Dohko called. The crowd parted for him. Dohko was one of the most revered saints, and one of the oldest, having lived through a holy war and into another against the god Hades.

"Dohko!" Athena gasped, trying not to sob. "I don't know what's going on! We were talking together and then he just suddenly collapsed!"

_Shun shuddered and started again to run from the figure, trying to escape again_.

Dohko pulled the green haired saint into Athena's lap and began to probe his chest as if searching for injuries. But suddenly he paused.

"Dear goddess…" he whispered. Athena froze. "Did he say anything unusual?" All of the saints fell silent. They could hear his tone of voice clearly. He was deadly serious.

"No, not that I know of…" Athena said. "But he's usually such an easy going and gentle saint…He's been on edge for the last few days."

"What's going on?" Shun heard Seiya cry. Shun's heart gave a jump. Why of all people did he have to show up now that he was losing himself?

It was the bronze saints. They had come to see what the fuss was about. They all fell silent as they saw Shun, cradled in Athena's lap and whimpering quietly before letting out another scream. Several that had been speaking with him earlier began to tremble. They had never heard him sound like that. Some were still angry with him, but others had already begun to repent of their words.

"Has he been acting strangely?" Dohko asked them severely.

"Y-yes." Seiya replied. "He's suddenly seemed so unnerved."

"And why didn't you tell anyone?" The saint suddenly growled, making all of the saints jump.

"What do you mean?" Hyoga, a friend of Shun's and a bronze saint asked. "Is something wrong?"

"Wrong?" Dohko growled. "This is beyond wrong! If you had spoken up we may have been able to stop this!"

"Dohko, what's wrong?" Athena asked. "What's going on?"

Dohko reached down into Shun's shirt collar and pulled up. A single pendant fell across his chest, a pinnacle of a star surrounded by a circle with the words "Yours Ever" etched into it.

"This is Hades Pinnacle!" Dohko growled. "He's been marked as someone Hades wants to have in his army, or to kill. The last time it was seen, it was used to mark Hades' last host."

"What?" Athena asked, her voice trembling. "Is there anything you can do?"

"No." Dohko said. "At this point, I doubt he can even hear us. Hades has found him. Now only his strength can save him, if it is enough to escape Hades."

Suddenly, every saint was trembling. Would he have the strength? He had always been such a gentle saint. His friends were suddenly trying not to cry. What had they done? They were certain that the reason he had finally been found was because they had aggravated him so. They finally realized why he had been so angry. He was scared. He was trying to escape from an enemy he couldn't place the name of. Only his brother, Ikki was not present as Shun was now fighting for his life. He was losing this most important battle, and the only person who could have probably saved him was no where to be seen. Shun felt the sudden unfairness of it, and let out another scream.

"_Don't run boy." The voice laughed. "It will make your capture more painful."_

_Shun kept running, but he was growing tired. This man seemed to make him grow even more painful and slow. He seemed to make him want to curl up into a ball and sleep forever. But Shun feared falling asleep. This was the god of death. Would he ever wake back up? The pendant on his neck was growing heavier, and with each step the man grew closer. Finally, his heart full of grief and sadness, Shun could take it no longer. He fell to his knees and stopped fighting._

He gave out a surprised yelp, and then his body went limp. His eyes closed and his breathing suddenly slowed. He looked so still that if they couldn't have seen the steady rise and fall -however slight it was- of his chest they would have thought him dead. They all shuddered, knowing that he had very little fight left in him. Suddenly, they feared that he wouldn't make it.

"Shun!" Athena suddenly cried. "Don't give up! Please keep fighting! Don't leave me!"

_Shun could hear her sobbing, but he just didn't have the strength left in his limbs to get up and keep running. It saddened him to think that this may well be the end, that he would never get the chance to make a mark on the world, but he also knew that he was a weak saint. He was never good at fighting. There were plenty of other bronze saints that could go on and be better than he ever could be. His brother was one of them. Ikki had told him only hours ago that he was too soft. He had told him that he was never meant to be a saint, that he was weak. He had even said that he hated him. Shun believed that. Ikki was after all, the saint of hatred, or so they said. And didn't they say that Shun himself was the saint of sorrow and sacrifice? He didn't know and he didn't care. He just wished suddenly for all of this to be over. But Hades was taking his time, laughing and gloating over his catch. Shun felt a bitter anger towards the god._

There was nearly dead silence. No one dared to move or breathe. Athena was clutching at Shun and sobbing, knowing that she could make no difference. Nearly all of the saints were tensed for the battle, expecting Hades to suddenly awaken and attack. Only the bronze saints remained frozen in horror. How could this be happening? Why Shun? He was too sweet to become Hades, or one of his many slaves. But it was happening. Shiryu suddenly returned, having gone to find Ikki and barley managing to convince the saint to come. In his haste Shiryu had been unable to tell Ikki exactly what was going on, but Ikki could tell that everyone was convinced that something horrible was happening to Shun. He hadn't wanted to believe it, but now he couldn't deny that Shun was nearly dead. He stood there with nothing in his mind but horror and a deep hopelessness.

"What happened?" Ikki asked, his voice trembling.

"Hades..." Athena sobbed, but she was unable to finish what she was going to say and no one tried to finish for her. Any hope Ikki had left sank suddenly.

_The god had arrived. He walked slowly in front of Shun, and bent down. He lifted the boy's face to look at him, his fingers under his chin so that their eyes had to lock. He then began to stroke Shun's hair with his other hand gently, like someone who was observing a tiny baby chick, being careful not to squash it. Shun trembled under the god's gaze. The god was very attractive really, something Shun found strange. He had never thought of a man as attractive. But then again, he'd never been in this situation before._

"_Easy," the god purred to him, "easy. I'm going to make this quick. I have compassion you know, despite what you saints think."_

_Shun couldn't reply. He couldn't move. He trembled silently as the god continued to stroke his hair._

"_What do you want?" Shun managed to growl out._

"_Me?" the god asked as if surprised. "Nothing much. I just want to see Athena suffer the way she has made me suffer. I'm going to steal something precious from her, just as she did. I'm going to steal you."_

"_Me?" Shun asked. "But I'm nothing."_

"_No." Hades laughed. "You're much more than that. You are one of her saints. She hates to see her saints die."_

"_So you're here to kill me?" Shun asked._

"_In a way, yes." Hades replied. "I am going to see that she suffers completely." Then the god leaned in close to shun and brushed the hair away from his ear gently, whispering into it. "I'm going to steal your loyalty."_

_Shun gasped and froze completely. There was no way was there? He would never give in! Or would he? Shun had never been a strong saint. No. He refused to give into Hades' demands. He would fight until he died if he had to. He would never give into Hades. He was a saint of Athena._

"_Oh," Hades laughed. "I love the fire in your eyes. Where did that suddenly come from?"_

_Shun suddenly stirred, preparing himself to attack. With sheer force of will he punched to god in the face. But Hades recovered in an instant and slapped Shun across the face, making him gasp as spots swam in front of his eyes. Then the god grabbed Shun by the throat, lifting him off of the ground. Shun felt his heart beat quicken as he struggled to breathe. _

"_Let this be the first warning." Hades growled. "I can kill you and I can raise you back from the dead. From this point on you will do what I say or feel my wrath." Then he laughed. "But there is one last thing I have to do before you can enter the realm of the dead."_

_Shun screamed as blindingly hot pain erupted from his chest._

Athena suddenly froze. She had had her head on Shun's chest, and it was impossible to miss. Her hair had shielded his face from the saints, and they couldn't see the small line of blood trickling down from his mouth. She looked at his face slowly. He seemed so peaceful now, and it made her heart ache all the more. She had heard his heart stop, his breathing die, and she had felt the wound open suddenly in his chest. She couldn't ignore that.

"No…" She gasped suddenly. She began to shake, both with tears and with rage. Hades had stolen him from her. There was no greater price he could claim of her.

There was silence as slowly, Athena raised her head. All of the saints looked away, all accept for the bronze saints. Their greatest fear had suddenly been realized. Shun was dead.

Ikki could only stare blankly at his younger brother. Inside his heart was bursting. He had promised to protect Shun, and he had failed miserably. And the last thing he had ever said to his brother had been in anger. Ikki's anguish could increase no further. He had told Shun that he hated him. He had said so many horrible things that would have normally made Shun cry, but had not because he was angry. But what hurt Ikki the most, was that for a moment he had convinced himself that it was true. His brother was gone, and he could not have loved him more. Ikki felt tears begin to spill down his face. Shun was gone, and he had never known that Ikki loved him with all his heart and could not ignore that he was dead. Ikki felt hatred burn inside of him. Hades would pay.

All of the bronze saints were mourning Shun, but none more than Ikki and Shun's best friends in life. Hyoga, Shiryu and Seiya had all been in that group that had been angry with Shun. They had all said things they now suddenly regretted. They wanted to take it back, but now they would never get the chance. They too stood there saying nothing, crying and swearing to all the gods and goddesses that they could name that Hades would pay for what he had just done.

But Seiya was mourning for Shun harder than the rest. It was no secret among the bronze saints that Seiya had promised himself to Shun, and that they would be together for life when they were allowed. But now that was impossible. Or so everyone thought. Seiya on the other hand was convinced that there was another way. He had one time heard of a way of saving someone from the grasp of Hades. No one had yet succeeded, but Seiya was too stubborn to give up. He would not die, and he would bring Shun back. Seiya was rightly convinced that Hades had other fates besides death in mind for Shun.

_Shun,_ Seiya thought, _I will bring you back. Hades can't take you from me. Not yet. Just stay strong._

* * *

Shun awoke with a start, finding himself in suffocating blackness. He was still free to move about, but found that there was something on his wrists that felt suspiciously like manacles, only they did not bind his hands. He was suddenly very frightened, for the dark had always made Shun nervous, and he realized suddenly that he was dead. He managed to keep calm and not bolt. He was dead now. He didn't have his cloth or his cosmos to protect him here, and so he needed to be smart about his whole situation. If he was going to have a chance, he needed to stay cool. But he also realized that this wasn't Hades full plan. He wanted him close so that he could "steal his loyalty" and then he would probably send him back to the world to show Athena all his good work. But Shun wasn't just going to roll over and give up. He was going to fight for all his worth. He was going to remind Hades that he was a saint of Athena.

Shun felt the caress of a familiar cosmos touch his face as it searched for him. Shun grasped it with his mind for a moment, and it seemed to acknowledge him before the tides of the underworld swept it away. Shun felt a tear fall down his face. He felt utterly alone. But he wouldn't give up. He knew Seiya would come for him, even if everyone else had given up.

_I will find you Shun. _Seiya's cosmos promised as it was swept away from him.

"And I'll be waiting for you, Seiya." Shun promised back.


	2. Time Waits Not

Shun blinked against the sudden light as the door across the room was suddenly flung open, painting him against the darkness. Hades paused in the doorway as he saw him, small and frightened and young, but unmistakably beautiful. He paused for a moment, drinking in the sight of him. The young Saint's eyes gradually adjusted to the light, and he watched the god with undisguised mistrust. For and instant, Hades felt a pang of jealousy against no one in particular. Who could have so gained his trust as to make him continue to fight when he should have lost all hope? He had to know, one way or another. But for now he would bide his time, and wait.

"So, how did you sleep?" Hades asked. Shun refused to answer him, and simply continued to glare at him. "You won't answer? Well then, we'll have to fix that won't we?"

Shun shuddered as Hades entered the room and the door closed behind him, closing them in darkness once again. Shun could not see in the darkness. In here he was simply like a sitting duck. Hades watched with some satisfaction as Shun cast fearful glances around him into the darkness. But it would be much more satisfying to have him look upon him with love and adoration, to have him in his arms and to kiss him. But most of all, it would be best to have him love him, even more than he did Athena, and show to her that he could steal what she cared about as well.

But not right now, he had to tame this wild little princess first. Andromeda was after all, a princess. He slowly approached the boy, savoring the feeling that he could easily inflict pain. The boy was dead, but not dead. It was hard even for Hades to explain. He could still feel pain and he could still destroy his soul of course, because his body remained practically untouched from how Hades had left it. The wound itself had of course not killed the saint. Only Hades power could do that. He had damaged the boy's soul in the process too, but in time it would heal. That was another reason Hades had attacked him himself. While a person's soul was healing, he was easy to manipulate, and therefore, Hades could easily achieve his goal.

Hades struck Shun's head, giving him a blow that snapped his head to the side. The boy shuddered but still showed signs of fighting back. Hades grabbed the boy's arm, and with one deft movement, snapped it clean in two. Shun screamed and fell to his knees.

"Now answer me." Hades whispered from the shadows. "How did you sleep, Shun?"

"Well enough." Shun growled.

And then the boy froze as he felt Hades kneel too and wrap him into a gentle but firm hug. Hades was careful not to put too much pressure onto the boy's injured arm, but also enough pressure that he could not wriggle away. The boy shuddered but did not move. Hades sighed, as if sadly, but Shun did not trust him.

"Don't make me do that again." Hades said. "I don't enjoy it. I don't want to hurt you. Please believe me when I say that I do care for you. I may have brought you here to hurt Athena, but I can't deny that I have been watching you for some time. I have always been with you. Didn't I even return your dear brother to you after Drocrates killed him?"

Shun wanted to pull away, but against all his better judgment, he found the god's words soothing in a way. It made sense. If the god did not in a sense love him, then why would he bring him here instead of someone Athena loved more, like one of the gold saints? And wouldn't the god of death know that Ikki had died. No. Shun tried to shake off the thought. He knew that Ikki had survived, because he had told him so. There was no reason for him to trust the god. But Hades had planted a seed of doubt into Shun's mind. There was no turning back for the young saint now. Hades smiled secretly to himself as he felt the saint relax slightly.

"Now be a good boy and come with me alright?" Hades asked. "I don't want to have to hurt you again. You're just so stubborn all of a sudden. Be the gentle saint I grew to know. Why are you fighting me?" then he slyly slipped in the question he wanted to ask. "Is there someone up stairs that you're trying to stay strong for?"

Shun made no reply but stiffened.

"There is isn't there?" Hades asked. "Who? Well, you don't have to tell me. You're in the underworld now. They can't help you. You're dead my boy. But you'll always have me. I am the god of death. Isn't it great to be favored by the god of death?"

"Perhaps." Shun growled, deciding it was better to play along than to be beaten again.

"Good. Then follow like a good boy." Hades said. "Oh, here. Let me see your arm." Shun winced as Hades took it in his hands, but did not pull away, afraid of Hades wrath. Hades gently laid a kiss on it, reveling in the simple, passionate, and gentle gesture. Shun froze. He had no response to that. But Hades released him again. "There. See? I won't harm you if you can learn to love me. Your arm will heal quickly here."

Then Hades stood and took the boy's arm, leading him to the door. Hades opened the door and patiently waited for the boy's eyes to adjust to the light. Only then did Shun see the cuffs on his arms. They were a brand he realized, a brand that stated that he belonged to the god whose name was branded on them: Hades. He shuddered. What was this? However, they did not seem to hurt him or hinder him in any way, though Shun was certain that they could if Hades so desired. Hades showed Shun the pendant that he had been wearing before, and tapped the center once. Shun felt a jolt run through his wrists.

"Just to make sure you won't try and run off." Hades assured him. "It won't hurt you, only keep you from going too far away from me."

Shun forced himself not to retort to Hades. Where was he getting all this stubbornness from? Was he really that determined to remain a loyal saint? Or was it because of Seiya? But Shun was forced to turn his thoughts else where as Hades started to move and his wrists were forced together as the god got too far away, and then dragged forward a step. He really couldn't get that far away. He growled silently in frustration. He was not in the mood for this.

"Come along." Hades said. "Oh, and try not to speak, whomever we see. It's not good for business. I'm a very busy man, planning wars and seeing to the dead and such. Do I make myself clear Shun?"

"Yes." Shun growled, wincing as his sore arm was jerked again and he ran up to catch up with the god.

"Yes what?" Hades asked.

"Yes, Hades-sama." Shun replied with a growl of frustration.

"Good boy." Hades said. "You learn fast. Now come with me."

Shun found it relatively easy to ignore what Hades said, because he was dead himself and had no say in the matter, whether it be in war, or in the affairs of the dead. He followed the god dolefully as he went about his routine, glancing up only occasionally as the names of his friends were mentioned. Of course, he cared for them, but he was stuck with Hades. And they were mentioned many times. Shun smiled secretly for a few moments. It seemed like they had all gotten to be a thorn in Hades' side. But first Hades stopped along a veranda, overlooking what Shun guessed was the gardens of Elysium. There was the only place where he could see flowers and hear laughter, see streams and other beautiful things. Here he kept his gaze, because every where else he heard screams of agony.

Hades was speaking to a one of his undead servants about several punishments that had been handed down by the tree judges of the underworld for the newly dead, which Hades approved vaguely without looking over the content. He seemed bored, Shun noticed, with what was going on here. He couldn't blame the god. Doing the same thing for eternity seemed boring to Shun too, besides the fact that the god had to watch over the dead until the end of time. But Shun had to concentrate on keeping his footing as Hades began to move again through the dark and dreary corridors of the castle.

Next, Hades had the names of his brother and his friends mentioned to him several more times. Now Shun was growing worried. It was like they were trying to get noticed by Hades. But he suddenly realized that they probably were. They were trying to avenge his death. He felt tears come to his eyes. They did miss him. The thought gave him a new found strength. Of course, he had known that they had never meant all of the things that they had said, but this was undeniable proof. He raised his head a little higher. Seiya would find him. He knew it. And his friends would not give up just because he was gone.

"Alright, Alright." Hades sighed. "Call Pandora to my throne room, and we'll discuss what to do. That's all. Go."

Hades sighed, and Shun found it easy to believe that he had it hard. Perhaps he didn't want this to happen at all. Perhaps he was different. Hades led a silent Shun down countless hallways until he entered into a large throne room, made of marble floors with large steps, banners, and a single throne that looked like a bat was perched atop it. Hades settled himself in the throne, and Shun did his best to disappear, sitting down behind the throne and easily becoming as small as possible.

"I'm here, Hades-sama." Pandora said as she entered. She was beautiful, Shun noticed, with long black hair and lavender eyes. But her eyes shone with the light of devotion, and Shun shuddered, remembering that Hades wanted that from him as well.

Hades and Pandora began to talk about his friends, but Shun tuned it out. He could really care less he realized, because death no longer scared him. He noted that Hades wanted to kill his friends, but the only thing he feared was that his friends would have even more heart ache because of him. He sighed and leaned his head back. This was never on his to do list.

But Shun froze as he heard two familiar voices calling out as he sat there, obviously trying to escape. It was Aphrodite and Deathmask. They were now in the realm of the dead, and they were fighting for all they were worth, even though they had no cosmos. The specters that brought them in were laughing and calling out insults to them, but all fell silent as the two saints were brought before Hades' throne. Shun shuddered but remained silent.

"So," Hades said, "We finally got you. Welcome to the underworld."

"We have no regrets!" Aphrodite growled.

"We were avenging the bronze saint you murdered!" Deathmask spat. Shun froze, and Hades chuckled.

"Is that so?" Hades asked. He tapped his necklace, and Shun suddenly fell limp, though his heart hammered in fear. What was going on? "Did you hear that Shun? They've come to avenge you. Why don't you come out and say hello?"

The gold saints were frozen as Shun's body stood up and obeyed without his permission. His mouth did not work, and in fact seemed sealed shut, and his eyes were glazed over. He stood there watching them in horror, as they stared up at him, hands bound behind them, uncomprehending. He made no move to acknowledge him. His body was bound completely to Hades' will. Shun suddenly felt sick with horror, and only by Hades will did he remain conscious.

"S-Shun?" Aphrodite stammered.

"That's impossible…" Deathmask gasped.

"Is it?" Hades asked. "I am Hades. The dead are bound to me. Shun belongs to me now. He is mine, and not even the bonds of life can steal him away. Don't you understand? This is not the Shun you knew."

The two saints could only watch in horror as the god stood and took Shun by the waist, pulling him into a sickeningly close embrace. Shun longed to pull away, to tell them that Hades was wrong, but his body would not obey. He remained docile as Hades turned his face towards him, fingers under his chin, and gazed into the boy's eyes. The gold saints began to tremble in a sudden rage.

"What did you do?" Aphrodite growled.

"The Shun we knew would never give into you!" Deathmask spat. "What kind of torture did you put that boy through to make him so docile?"

"That, my dear saints," Hades said "is something you will never know. Take them from my sight. Come Shun. Let's go."

Hades turned, Shun still tucked under one of his arms, and walked away. The two gold saints fought desperately to escape the specters once again, calling after Shun as he was spirited away by Hades, but Shun could not acknowledge them in any way. He wanted to call out to them, but he was unable to. Finally, Shun reentered the room he had woken up in, and after Hades closed the door, he was released from the strange spell and fell gasping to the floor.

"Sorry," Hades purred, "but I have a reputation to uphold. You know, I think I'll send those two back to Athena, to tell them what they've seen. Just to freak her out a little. You understand, don't you Shun?"

"No!" Shun growled. "And I'm not going to be stuck here forever doing what you want. Seiya will rescue me!"

"Ah," Hades said, his jealousy flaring again. "so it's Seiya you trust. Very well. I may have to pay him a visit." Shun gasped and bit back tears, feeling guilty that he had betrayed Seiya. "But Shun, you'll be here longer than you think. Time moves differently here. In a week here, it would have already been a month up there. You've already been dead for several days. Do you really think Seiya can save you quickly? It will take years, and that's even if he succeeds. Shun, you're trapped here forever with me, while he ages and then dies. Wouldn't it be best for him to move on and find someone else?"

Shun felt like he had been hit in the stomach. He was right. Seiya shouldn't have to worry about him, he was dead. Seiya needed to move on and continue. He shouldn't be worn down for the rest of his life waiting for something that could never come true. He should be happy, and Shun shouldn't try to step in the way of that. Whenever Hades decided he was ready to truly hurt Athena, then he would send him back, and Seiya could be years older. It hurt Shun, but he knew that it was the only way that Seiya could ever be happy again. Suddenly, all the fight left him, and he became the docile saint he had always been. He couldn't fight Hades anymore. He wouldn't. He was just going to roll over and give up, because he had deluded both himself and Seiya that they could still be together. Hot tears started to pour down Shun's face. His heart had never hurt so much.

"I'll do whatever you want." Shun said wearily. "Just promise me you won't destroy his soul when he dies, and that he'll be remembered as a hero. Seiya and all of my friends."

"Of course." Hades replied, wrapping Shun into a hug that he didn't try to fight. "I know how it must feel, to loose that. But you'll get over it. He's not meant for you. It's only 'till death do we part'. Perhaps you'll come to love someone else, someone who will never leave you."

"Perhaps." Shun replied sadly.

Hades stroked Shun's hair, and the boy did not flinch.

* * *

"Athena!" Dohko called.

Athena glanced up from her bed, littered with photo albums of all of the bronze saints. She had been staring at a picture of Shun. But now she turned her red rimmed eyes to the saint. She was still Athena.

"Yes, what is it?" She asked.

"Shun's body…" Dohko said, trying to find the words. "It's still in the Virgo temple, like you ordered, and its just there. It's been two weeks and there've been no signs of decay or even a smell of decay. It's like he's just sleeping."

"This is Hades' work." Athena growled. "He just can't let the boy rest naturally."

"Athena!" another voice called.

Both the goddess and the gold saint froze as Aphrodite and Deathmask reappeared. Dohko prepared to fight, just in case, but they were breathing heavily, and the look in their eyes told them that they were deadly serious.

"You're dead." Athena said suspiciously.

"We were. Hades brought us back to tell you…" Aphrodite gasped.

"Hades did?" Dohko growled. "So you side with him."

"Never!" Aphrodite spat, glaring at Dohko. "Not after what he did!"

"I'm sorry." Athena said. "We shouldn't have jumped to conclusions. What did he send you to tell us?"

"It's Shun." Death mask shuddered. "He's with Hades. He must have tortured him. He was completely docile, like he had served him his whole life, like we never existed. Athena, Hades has made Shun side with him."

Silence fell, and there was not a sound in the world that could be heard as shock, pity, sorrow, and hate descended.


	3. Death Breaks Not Love

Authors Note: Yeah, so I keep posting these. But I got into this story and just couldn't stop writing about it. I'm sorry for not uploading more of the Phantoms of War series, but I now have to find my original copy. I just don't seem to have good luck with that series do I? Well, here's the next chapter. I hope you enjoy!

Ikki was watching the light as it played across Shun's face. In death he seemed even smaller and more fragile. Ikki had never noticed before how much he liked seeing the daylight play across his hair, giving him a halo. Ikki had never really told Shun that he loved him. He had never made sure that Shun understood that. But then again, Ikki had never really noticed how much he loved him. But now it had been almost three weeks, nearly a month, and Ikki couldn't find anything to fill the hole in his heart. He was hurt, hurt more than he could ever remember being, and he felt utterly alone. Ikki had always been a loner, at least after his training. He had never really approached Shun and his friends. As long as Shun was smiling, then he didn't care. He loved to see that smile. But now it was gone, and Ikki couldn't bring himself to leave his side.

He knew Shun would have wanted him to move on, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. Ikki had lost the only family he had ever had. But Ikki was angry too, angry at the god that had so unfairly stolen his brother. He sat brooding over this subject, sitting in the temple of the gold saint and saying nothing. None of the other saints dared to approach him now, because he could easily turn on them. But now, Ikki took Shun's hand –small for his age- into his. It was cold, but comforting none the less. Ikki scowled as he noticed the wound that had killed Shun. It was closed now, as if he was alive and it had been healing, and Shun's body hadn't shown even the slightest signs of decay. Ikki snarled silently. Just what was Hades planning with Shun?

Ikki felt the same way as Shun about this, as did many of the saints. Why would Hades want to kill such a young and inexperienced saint? Why wouldn't he want to kill a saint that would be more of an obvious threat to him? Some of the bronze saints had a theory that terrified the saints. What if Hades had wanted a saint he could control? Aphrodite and Deathmask had come back with a story that certainly matched this theory. It made Ikki angry to think about it. He was going to destroy Hades for stealing his brother. He had already made that vow. Hades had already crossed the line for many of the saints, but if he took one more step then Ikki was going to make the god wish he had never even heard of his brother.

Ikki paused however, as he felt Shun's fingers tighten for a moment on his. He froze and looked back at the boy. But he was still dead. Ikki had no idea what was going on, but he found the small gesture, whether voluntary from the after life or some small effect of Hades lingering hands, comforting. Ikki laid the boy's hand against his face for a few moments, letting the icy chill seep into his skin, before laying it back across his chest and standing to leave.

"I think you can hear me, Shun," Ikki said, "and I just want you to know that I miss you, and I want you back. Just hold on a little longer. Don't let Hades break you. I'll probably be joining you sooner than either of us thought."

Whether or not the boy heard him was irrelevant, Ikki's only wish was that somehow, Shun would understand that he still loved him. Then Ikki turned and walked out of the temple, turning his face to the slowly rising sun. It was about noon time, and Ikki knew that many of the saints would have already left for the training grounds to start fighting. The specters and all of Hades undead army had yet to make a reappearance, and it was starting to fray nerves. Several bronze saints were at their wit's end. They were still mourning Shun and many still blamed themselves about what had happened, and now the extra toll of not knowing what was happening was beginning to make them turn on one another. Ikki sighed, knowing that soon he would have to go and take his turn at having the saints jump at the chance to beat him, but he paused, hearing voices.

He looked over and noticed Aphrodite and Deathmask whispering urgently to Seiya, who was listening intently. Ikki approached slowly and quietly, but they didn't seem to notice him.

"You have to do something!" Aphrodite growled to Seiya. "Soon we will die again and return to the land of the dead, but you must save Shun! Hades has done something to him! I know it! We can't let him become one of Hades' servants!"

"We have no powers in the land of the dead, or we would do it ourselves." Deathmask added sadly. "Shun's not in his right mind. What saint would let Hades control him like that? You have to go and save him Seiya! You're the only one who can do it. Even Ikki might not make it all the way. You're too stubborn to give up. We know you've been looking for a way to save him."

"But I'll need time to prepare." Seiya sighed. "I'll do it, you know I will, but I can't just get up and leave. I'll need to be prepared for whatever I face, and I'll need a distraction when the time is right so that I can get away without Athena or Hades noticing."

"That'll be hard to do." Aphrodite growled.

"Not to mention that Hades would know you weren't dead." Deathmask added. "And you'll need Shun's body so his soul can return to it."

"Then let me help." Ikki said, finally stepping forward and showing himself. "I can get you out of here and make everyone believe that you've gone missing. We'll hide Shun's body somewhere else before then, and after that whatever you do is up to you. Just bring my brother back."

"Yes of course." Seiya said, smiling at Ikki. "I promise that I'll bring him back with me, and we'll both be alive."

Ikki nodded. He knew that Seiya deeply loved Shun, even more than he himself did. He knew that if anyone could return Shun, it was Seiya. Suddenly Aphrodite grabbed his chest, grimacing.

"Well," He said, "it seems like we'll be going back sooner than we thought. Don't worry. We'll keep an eye on Shun, and Seiya, when you show up we'll help you."

"Just for goddess' sake," Deathmask grimaced. "hurry. I don't know if Shun can take much more of this. We'll try to keep him as calm as possible."

Both gold saints suddenly doubled over, starting to cough up blood. Hades was calling them home. They fought the urge to scream in agony as their old wounds reopened to claim their lives, but didn't fight to remain standing. They knew that they could no longer outrun death, and it didn't scare them. The bronze saints leaped forward to catch them, and Deathmask crumpled into Seiya's arms. He reached up and touched the young saint's face.

"We're sorry for making you all fight so long." He gasped. "But now the battle is in your hands. Always, the bronze and the silver must overtake the gold in time. The biggest battle of your life is drawing out before you. Fight it well."

The two gold saints grew very still and suddenly stopped fighting. The two stunned bronze saints could only stare at them as if they couldn't believe what they were seeing. Hades had claimed many of their comrades, but none so far had made such a promise as these. They only looked up when they heard the calling of several saints. They had heard the noise, and fearing the worst had come running, only to find two very distressed bronze saints and two very dead gold saints.

But Pandora was watching all of this in a tree nearby. She had not heard what they were talking about, but she had heard them say Shun's name. She gritted her teeth. Shun belonged to her master now and made him very happy. She couldn't just let them steal that from Hades. She raised her voice above the din, making all of the saints pause and wheel around for a fight.

"Pegasus Seiya!" Pandora cried, pointing at the boy. "My master, Hades-sama, has pronounced that you and all of your friends should die. I am here to make sure that happens. You will not escape me, even I must chase you for years to come before I can finally destroy you."

* * *

**(Real Time: Three Months Later. Underworld Time: Three Weeks Later.)**

Shun was tired, and he had long since stopped fighting Hades. He would do whatever he wanted, both because if he did not he feared for the souls of his friends, and because he just no longer had the strength to ignore Hades. He followed Hades like a dog, if not loyally, then at least unfailingly. He allowed Hades to pull him into his lap, to hug him, to kiss him, and he made no move to disobey the god. He knew that he had been here for a long time, but he dared not think of the time. He couldn't stand the thought that all of his friends were aging and dying, and he remained the same, unchanged for all eternity, by the side of their most hated enemy. Shun was dreading the day when he saw one of his friends or his brother enter Hades throne room and see him there, as docile as a kitten in the god's lap.

But the day had finally come. Shun was sitting in the god's lap, his eyes closed, his head leaning against his chest. The god's arm was around his waist, and he didn't dare try to brush it off. He had already been subjected to numerous punishments by the god's hands, and now he was simply too tired of being beat to disobey. Hades was watching the young saint with some small token of affection, when suddenly his specters brought another two into his prescience. He let an evil smile touch his face as the saints saw him, Shun curled in his lap like a kitten and making no move to pull away. The saints froze in horror. They couldn't believe that all of this was actually true.

"So, you are some of Athena's bronze saints." Hades said, laughing bitterly. "How touching now that you get to see your old friend."

"Shun?" one asked. Shun flinched slightly. It was the Bear saint, Geki.

"It's true." The other gasped. Shun managed barely not to shudder. It was the Unicorn saint, Javu.

"Yes," Hades said, stroking the side of Shun's face gently. "Isn't he just wonderful? I can see why Athena values her saints so, if they were all like this."

"Don't touch him!" Geki suddenly growled.

"Oh?" Hades asked, leaning forward slightly but keeping Shun pressed firmly to his chest. "You dare talk to me that way? Normally I would have your souls destroyed for such an act." The two saints flinched. "But," Hades sighed. "I promised Shun that I wouldn't do that. It's his reward for learning to love me and no longer disobeying me. I'll let you off. But don't let me catch you saying something like that again. There are far worse fates than death."

"Shun said…" Javu said, nearly whispering.

"Of course," Hades replied "I can tame any dead creature to my will, but I cannot sever their bonds to the life they had before."

"Hades-sama." said a voice from behind the throne. Both bronze saints froze as Aphrodite walked over to him. "Pandora-sama needs you to discuss how to move the specters."

"Ah, very well." Hades sighed. "Get these two out of my sight. You can do with them what you want, Deathmask. Perhaps they'll make servants just as good as you two gold saints."

"Yes, my lord." Deathmask replied, walking up behind the two stunned bronze saints and brushing away the specters that were holding them. He pulled them up to their feet and didn't even so much as glance at them.

"D-deathmask?" Geki asked. "Aphrodite?"

"Not you too!" Javu groaned.

"Shut your mouth in the prescience of Lord Hades, before I do it for you." Deathmask replied with a growl.

"Shun." Hades said gently to the boy in his lap. "Go with Aphrodite. You, of all people, don't need to see what's happening next. I think it would distress you." Shun opened his eyes, and without looking in the direction of his friends, swung his legs around and extracted himself gently from the hands of the god. "There's a good boy. Now go."

Shun turned and followed Aphrodite as he turned and made his way down the hallway. Shun only barley glanced in the direction of the cuffs on his arms that marked him as a slave to Hades. He had grown used to them sitting there. He could even feel it as Hades released the bond his pendant had on him and let him walk away. He walked behind Aphrodite in silence, his eyes glued to the floor. He hated what he had become, but he didn't dare try to reverse it.

"I think you scared them more than either of us." Aphrodite remarked. "Are you really loyal to Hades? It makes both of us sad, as well as all of them, those that are still alive."

"I don't know." Shun replied, rubbing his hand. He could still remember the dream he had where Ikki had been speaking to him. "I don't think so. But I don't have the will to fight him anymore."

"Then he has broken you." Aphrodite said sadly.

"Yes, and it didn't take him long either." Shun said bitterly. The gold saint turned and took the younger saint's shoulders in his hands, turning him to face him.

"Shun, you are the strongest person I know." He said. "You have not lost you soul or your mind near Hades, and you are still fighting to protect those you care about. I would not have been able to do that. You have a strength that is all your own, and no one can take away from you. Your heart is your greatest strength."

"Then that's all the strength I had." Shun said. "I was never good at fighting. I was always getting myself into situations where some one had to save me."

"Shun you can't give up!" Aphrodite cried. "Seiya is still coming for you. Seiya and Ikki are still looking for a way to save you!"

"And will it be worth it?" Shun asked. "Would they really want to see me like this? Broken and abused? I don't think so. I lost hope a long time ago."

"Because of something Hades said?" Aphrodite asked. Shun looked up at him sadly but made no reply. How could he ever explain his logic to someone who hadn't given up hope themselves?

"I'm tired." He said simply. "I'm going to go to sleep." And he entered into the room where he had first found himself. Aphrodite watched him quietly.

"I find it strange that we sleep, but in a way it makes sense." Aphrodite said. "We don't eat because we're dead, but we sleep. A mind deprived of dreams goes mad. Therefore we sleep and dream. We don't do it to rest either, I suppose, or at least not all the time. We do it because it is expected. Death is the eternal sleep, they say. But I don't know if I want to sleep yet."

"And I'm not sure if I want to wake up." Shun said. "Nightmares plague my sleep, but I don't want to wake up and find myself in this one again."

"Go rest, Shun." Aphrodite said. "Deathmask and I will make sure nothing happens to Geki or Javu. Just try to find a hope again."

"I'll try." Shun promised half heartedly as the door closed behind him. Then he curled up in the darkness and closed his eyes to sleep.

* * *

Shun was not dreaming now. He was too exhausted for that. He did not stir as the lone figure entered the room, but he did register, rather sleepily, that someone gently lifted him off of the ground, cradling him in their lap. He at first thought it was Hades, but the body was too small and his skin seemed to burn. That of course, he realized was because he was dead, and whoever was touching him now was not. They were alive. He slowly began to wake, though he kept his eyes closed and listened for a moment. He didn't want to find out if this intruder was hostile. Every creature in the underworld was sleeping now, a sleep that resembled death because the dead did not have to breathe and their hearts did not beat. Shun was no exception, and he was scared too, of what this stranger wanted. But then he felt the boy lay his head against his and whisper in a voice that made him remain completely limp and still out of the shock of hearing it.

"Shun." Seiya said, "Shun can you hear me?"

Shun did not respond for a moment, trying to believe what he had heard. He opened his eyes and could not deny that it was true. It was Seiya, not any older than he remembered him, and just as beautiful. He realized suddenly that he found Seiya attractive too, though more so than Hades. Seiya had a glow all his own. Shun had loved Seiya in life without realizing it, and in death his love could not diminish. He watched him for a moment, drinking in his features, His brown hair, and his large dark brown eyes that had always reminded Shun of the mythical horse he had always claimed to be. Finally, he stirred, much to Seiya's evident relief.

"Seiya?" Shun asked, unable to hide his shock. "What are you doing here?" Suddenly Shun gasped. "You have to get out of here! What if someone finds you? I couldn't forgive myself if you died too!" Shun realized that he was crying and he suddenly felt frustrated. He had promised himself that he wasn't going to cry here. But Seiya only smiled his dazzling smile and brushed the tears from his eyes.

"I can't." He replied. "I have to bring you back. I promised Ikki. And besides, I can't leave you here by yourself anymore. You can come back Shun. Hades kept your body alive so that you could come back. Come with me Shun. You don't have to stay here any longer."

"I…" Shun said. Then he paused. He didn't know what to do. He wanted to stay here, he realized. He felt like he couldn't leave his friends, but more than that, he realized that he didn't want to leave Hades. He was so misunderstood and alone. Shun couldn't leave him. But he had known Seiya all of his life. He owed it to his friends and his brother to go back, didn't he?

"Shun?" Seiya asked. "Don't worry. I'll protect you."

"That's all anyone ever did." Shun suddenly cried. "I always needed to be saved. Even now, you came to save me. I never did anything good in my life because I was too weak. I couldn't even fight!"

"Shun," Seiya said, pulling him into a hug. "we kept saving you because we loved you. You didn't do anything good in your life? You were always smiling. You made everyone's day and you made even the worst situation seem brighter when you were there. We loved you, and when you were gone we didn't know what to do. Especially since the last thing you ever heard us say were horrible things that we knew would hurt you."

"You're all so stupid." Shun laughed, though a little bitterly. "You think I didn't know that you never meant all of that? I was sorrier that the last thing I ever said to you was something horrible."

"See?" Seiya said. "We knew that you never meant all of that. We were upset that Hades had killed you and we could never say we were sorry. That's why I had to come get you, so that everyone can relax. And besides, you weren't too weak to fight. You were gentle enough to realize when fighting wasn't the only option. But if you're that worried about it, then you can come with me and we can find a way to make you stronger."

Shun looked up at Seiya's face, still plastered with a smile. He was always there for him when he needed it, and he never once failed to save him. He may have fallen in love with Hades, even a little bit, but he loved Seiya more. He had to go back, for his friends.

"Alright." Shun sighed. "I'll go. But you'll have to help me get out. I can't do it on my own."

"That's what I'm here for." Seiya said. And then he brushed the bangs out of Shun's face and kissed his forehead, making Shun blush. "Sit tight ok? I'm going to get these things off of you."

Shun let Seiya take his hands and raise his wrists so that the cuffs that bound him to Hades were clearly visible. Shun shuddered as Seiya's burning hands touched his skin, but he felt Seiya likewise shudder because of how cold he felt to him. Neither of them spoke as Seiya examined the cuffs.

"They're really on there." Seiya muttered. "But I think I can get them off. It may hurt though. Is that ok?"

"Just get them off." Shun replied.

"Alright then. Stay still." Seiya said.

Shun gasped as he felt Seiya's cosmos ignite. It burned him and seemed blindingly bright. He hadn't felt it in so long he had almost forgotten what it felt like. It frightened him for a moment, because he was so used to being in the dark without his own cosmos, but he felt the spirit of Pegasus nuzzle him slightly, as if to say, "Its ok". He felt himself calm even though he gasped again in pain as the first cuff split off. He trusted Seiya and his cosmos. The second cuff fell off and Seiya grabbed Shun into a hug again, as if he was afraid that he would fall.

"I'm alright." Shun gasped. "It's just been a long time since I felt a cosmos."

"Are you sure Shun?" Seiya asked, brushing the hair out of his face and worrying over him. "Will you be ok to walk?"

"Yes, I'll be fine." Shun said, standing shakily. "I'm just a little tired, that's all."

"Alright," Seiya said, "but I'm right here. Don't hide how you're feeling from me, ok?"

"When did you start worrying over me so much?" Shun asked

Seiya didn't answer, and instead, grabbed Shun's wrist and dragged him out the door after him. They ran together down several hallways, until Seiya had to pause to catch his breath.

"Do you know where you're going?" Shun asked.

"Yes." Seiya panted. "I left…Deathmask and the others…down a ways…to come find you." He shook his head and continued. "They said that I needed to come talk sense into you and it seems they were right."

"But it feels good." Shun sighed.

"What does?"

"Being free again." Shun replied. "Hades was using those cuffs to control me. I couldn't even get ten feet away from him."

"Well," Seiya said, smiling, "you haven't tasted freedom again yet. I am Pegasus, I live to be free. No one can clip my wings."

"I hope so." Shun sighed.

Seiya didn't ask what Shun meant, and instead grabbed his wrist again and started to lead Shun on. Shun remained silent and didn't fight him. He couldn't believe it. He was free, and Seiya still loved him and had not aged. He couldn't have felt happier then. Some of the old fire that had first appeared in his eyes ignited again, until suddenly his eyes were blazing again. The weight of the world had suddenly been lifted off of his shoulders, and when the two of them arrived at where Deathmask, Aphrodite, Geki, and Javu were waiting, it seemed to them that Seiya had broken the spell that Hades had put on him.

"Seiya, Shun!" Geki called. "Is everything alright?"

"You didn't run into any trouble did you?" Javu asked.

"No, just trying to get those things off of Shun's wrists." Seiya said. "He said that's how Hades was controlling him."

"Don't worry." Shun said, letting a smile, a true genuine smile, touch his lips and his eyes. "They're gone now, and I'm fine."

"That's good to here." Aphrodite sighed. "We were worried about you."

"But now the question is, how do we get out of here?" Deathmask asked.

"The gates of the underworld will open and let Shun through." Aphrodite said, "Which means…"

"Any of the dead that are at the gate at the time can enter into the world of the living again without fearing Hades having the power to pull them back when he pleases. In essence, it will be like they never died…" Deathmask finished.

"So then," Seiya said. "you can all come back with us."

"This holy war, is about to escalate into something that has never before been seen." Shun said. "The living and the dead will fight together, and the ranks of Athena will swell."

"What do you mean?" Seiya asked.

"I know where we can find the former saints of Athena." Shun said. "But we must hurry, before Hades realizes what we are doing."

Then Shun turned to lead them on, only to have Seiya stop him for a moment and kiss his cheek. The other four saints smiled as Shun blushed and ran on. Death could not break love. Love was eternal.

Author's Note: Alright, so I admit it. This is my first story where I've actually said, "these characters love each other!". I usually leave my story open so that my fans can imagine their own fan fictions into it. But I couldn't help it with this story. I just had to! Anyone else notice that these chapters keep getting longer? Anyway, if you have any ideas, leave a review below and tell me some things that you might like to happen. This is a fan fiction. I like to get fan ideas as to what will happen. I'm probably going to post another chapter today too, because I am sick and have nothing better to do.


	4. Look Not To Despair

Author's Note: So here we are again. Next Chapter! Please, if you have any ideas feel free to post in the reviews! Thanks!

Shun pulled up suddenly, watching to make sure that Seiya was nearby. They were now in Elysium fields, where the heroes and saints went after their deaths. He glanced around, knowing that they were all near and watching him. They knew that he was always with Hades, though they also knew that he was a saint. It saddened them, but they were unsure as to his sudden change in behavior. They had never seen him so fired up before. He paused, glancing up to Hades' castle.

"If you're going to ask," He told the gold saints behind him. "hurry. I don't think we have much time left."

The saints watched Shun nervously, just as he stared up at the castle. He was beyond nervous. But a young Pegasus saint stepped up beside him and he seemed to calm a little. The Pegasus whispered something to him, and he turned to look at him. Seiya laid his hand on Shun's face, and though the difference in their skin temperature's burned them, Shun nuzzled closer to his hand. It was then that the watching saints realized that Seiya was a living person in the realm of the dead. With their curiosity aroused, they finally stepped forward into the light. There were hundreds of them, but most were mostly curious and did not approach. Aphrodite and Deathmask turned only to those that came forward.

Among them were many that they recognized: Shion who was the pope killed in battle and also a saint, several gold saints from their own time period, several saints that had fought Shun and Seiya before the holy war, and saints from the previous holy war, such as Aldebaran, Albafica, and many others.

"Why are you here, Seiya?" Shion asked. "This place is not for the living."

"I had to come get Shun." Seiya replied.

"What's been happening?" Shion asked. "It's hard to keep track of what's going on up there when we're stuck down here."

So Shun sighed and started from the beginning, telling them about the tournament, the pope who betrayed them, and so on. Most of the saints remained silent, adding in comments every now and then from what they remembered. It was only until Shun began talking about the beginning of the Holy war that many of them began to truly listen. At that point, Seiya cut Shun off and continued the story, seeing how everyone else was clueless as to what happened after that.

"The thing is," Seiya said, "Shun's body isn't exactly dead. Hades meant to send him back eventually for his revenge against Athena. That's why I'm here. We're going to bring Shun back from the dead."

"And the gates of the underworld will be open long enough to let us through." Shion finished.

"Yes." Aphrodite said. "We need all the help we can get if we are to survive this holy war. Hades is pulling out all the stops. All hell is going to break loose."

The spirits began to talk amongst themselves, and a few bronze and silver saints joined their numbers. Shun noticed a Pegasus saint among them but said nothing. He wasn't Seiya. He was not his Pegasus saint. Shun cast another fearful glance at the veranda, growing nervous. Something wasn't right.

"Alright." Shion said. "We will accompany you. Hades has already destroyed the sanctity of death by taking a life that was not yet ready even for judgment. We have no reason to fear what our actions may cause."

"Shun?" Seiya asked. Shun was watching the side of the castle, trembling. He had just seen something out of the corner of his eye that he hoped was false. But he spotted it again. Now all of the saints were watching him.

"Oh no…" Shun said, "What is he doing here?"

They didn't have to ask what Shun meant. They heard a low growl rise up to meet them, filled with rotting breath like a thousand stinking corpses. The creature bounded towards them and landed only a few feet in front of Shun, growling at the saints with two heads, but panting playfully with the middle one at Shun. Some how Shun did not find that comforting.

"I think Hades knows." Shun whimpered.

"Really? What gave you that idea?" Seiya cried, grabbing Shun by the waist and picking the petrified boy up, cradling the small saint in his arms like a small child.

"Run!" Javu cried unnecessarily.

The saints scattered, fearing the jaws that the creature had. It slashed out at Seiya, but the saint was fast and managed to avoid its claws by a few inches. Shun whimpered pathetically. He had felt the claws of Cerberus more than once for disobeying the god. The giant dog may have liked him, but if Hades found out Shun was escaping of his own free will and they were caught he knew he would feel worse than the poison in the creature's claws. He trembled, having half a mind to run back to the castle and avoid Hades' wrath, but he couldn't move. Seiya was nearly crushing him to his chest, afraid that he would bolt or perhaps that he would drop him and leave him at the mercy of the guard dog of hell.

Shun's complete terror of Cerberus told Seiya that Hades had not been kind to Shun. He had beaten him, of that he was sure, and even sent him before the hound of hell. It made him angry, and he clutched at Shun tighter, swearing that he would never let Hades get a hold of him like that again. Shun gave another little whimper as the hound's claws missed him and Seiya by inches again, and that served only to anger Seiya further.

But Shun tried to wriggle free of Seiya's grasp, only to have the saint grip him tighter. He wanted to run to Cerberus, to promise that he would go back with him if he left his friends alone. The hound of hell could destroy souls just as easily as his master. Shun no longer feared death, but he did fear not existing. Seiya however, lost his footing suddenly, and the dog's claws raked towards him. Out of sheer instinct, Shun wriggled free enough to shield Seiya's body with his own and spare the boy from the deadly poison. The blow however, knocked them both into the cliff face that separate Elysium from the other parts of hell.

Shun gasped. He couldn't move. He was dead, so the poison could not kill him, but it was painful, paralyzing so. He smiled bitterly as he lay there, gasping. Only Seiya could have made him jump forward to willingly take that blow again. He could hear Cerberus approaching, still growling at those brave saints that dared to approach to see if they could help. Shun started to tremble terribly, no longer wondering what would come if Hades caught him again, but wondering if Seiya had survived the blow. He had no idea where he landed, and he could only imagine that the blow had set them apart from each other. Suddenly, Shun was praying that the hound would ignore everyone but him. He was what he had come for, after all. The growling ceased some what, and Shun realized that Cerberus had acknowledged his plea. Shun shuddered against the pain and the frustration. He couldn't move. He could only wait for the dog to come.

"Shun?" He heard Seiya call, looking for him. "Shun!" He had seen him, and now he was running to him, no longer caring about his own safety.

Shun wanted to tell him to stay away, that he should run and save himself, but he couldn't open his mouth to say it. He knew that if he did, he would cry out and make Seiya even keener on coming to his rescue again. Shun heard the dog start to growl again, but Seiya was faster. Shun could feel his burning hands touch his side, gently trembling.

"Shun, Shun!" Seiya called. "Are you alright? Please answer me!" He gently pulled Shun up into his lap, cradling the boy in his arms. Shun could only yelp once quietly as he held him. "Oh no…." Seiya said, suddenly starting to cry. "Shun, I'm so sorry. Please be ok."

Shun turned his gaze up to Seiya. He was crying for him? He had never really seen Seiya cry about anything. He was just too stubborn. He managed to place his hand on Seiya's chest.

"I'm fine." Shun gasped. "It just hurts. The poison can't kill me, I'm already dead."

"Then you…" Seiya sobbed.

"I was shielding you, yes." Shun laughed quietly. "I knew that he would kill you if he hit you. I guess I really haven't changed that much. I always was the one to jump forward to save someone else."

They paused as they heard Cerberus growl, but Seiya was now shaking with rage instead of tears. He gently laid Shun back against the cliff face, turning to face the beast. Shun noticed now that several specters had shown up to fight the saints, and though several of them tried to run and help him and Seiya, they had to fear for themselves now. Some of them of course, could really care less if they both were destroyed. It suited them fine. But most of them were more virtuous than that.

Seiya raised his head to look at the hound of hell, measuring up his size and weight. Shun almost had a mind to tell him that he should just let Cerberus take him because he couldn't win, but then he remembered that Seiya could do anything he put his mind to. Cerberus gave one more warning growl, before launching, and Seiya balled his fist up.

"Pegasus, Meteor Punch!" Seiya cried.

Faster than the eye could follow, Seiya's fist flew into the beast, until in the time of one second, he had punched it one hundred times. The beast seemed stunned for a moment, all six eyes turned to Seiya in pure hatred, but then it collapsed with one final howl. None of the battlers paused to see what the noise had been.

Seiya turned back to Shun, kneeling in front of him and gently leaning him forward again. Shun couldn't help but smile at the worry he saw in Seiya's eyes, and Seiya smiled back at him.

"Are you alright?" Seiya asked.

"I've had worse." Shun replied.

"We have to go now, ok? Bear with me." Seiya said. He gently scooped the boy back up into his arms, and Shun let out a small whimper, but laid his head against Seiya's chest and closed his eyes. Cerberus terrified him, but Seiya could never hurt him.

Seiya then turned and began to make his way towards the battlers, pausing as Shion used his Starlight Extinction on one of the specters.

"What?" A specter gasped. "How can the saints be regaining their cosmos?"

"The Heavens are already in turmoil because of what Hades did!" Shion growled. "Now the constellations are acknowledging more than one Saint."

Slowly, the saints managed to push the specters, and then suddenly, they broke free and ran towards the gate. They were now on the last stretch, and there was nothing left to stop them as they continued. Shun prayed that the gate would be open, and to his relief, it swung open on his command. Shun heard Hades give out a cry of anguish and rage before he was swallowed in light and felt nothing.

* * *

Shun awoke with a groan, his entire body on fire. He couldn't remember where he was or what he was doing, only that he had been afraid and running from something. After that, he was clueless. He shifted slightly, and found that one of his legs was asleep and his chest hurt the worst. But his hand shifted slightly and he felt someone's fingers touch his, though they didn't respond.

He sat up with a jolt and regretted it immediately. He remembered everything, and wondered suddenly where he was. It wasn't the sanctuary. Actually, it looked like the inside of a cave somewhere. He saw his cloth sitting in the corner of the small room, and reaching out to it, felt relieved to feel his cosmos, and it felt the same about feeling him. Then he turned and noticed Seiya, still curled up asleep from where their souls had reentered their own bodies. Shun looked back towards the cave mouth and found that he had to look away because of the light.

"Shun?" Seiya asked.

Shun turned back to Seiya and watched as he sat up, still not quite believing what had happened. But Seiya smiled at him and pulled him into an embrace, kissing his forehead and not letting go. Shun sucked in a breath because his chest hurt, but he didn't mind it. This was too good to let slip by. Seiya held him for a moment more, then he finally released Shun and looked into the boy's face fondly.

"You don't have to become stronger Shun." Seiya said. "You're perfect just the way you are. Don't ever lose that smile again, alright?"

"Alright," Shun breathed. "just as long as you never leave me alone again."

"Done." Seiya said, smiling. "Now put your cloth on. We have a ways to go, and a lot of people that you need to say hello to. We've all been worried about you, so let's not make them wait any longer. Can you stand?"

"Yes, I'll be fine." Shun said. Then he reached out and opened his cloth. The pink armor flew out eagerly to rest on his body, back in the place it belonged, protecting him. He smiled a little as he felt his and Seiya's cosmoses collide and greet each other again.

"Let's go!" Shun cried, feeling happier than he had in a long time.

* * *

The Sanctuary was in turmoil. Not only was Seiya missing and also Shun's body, but now the specters were attacking while they were totally unprepared. The saints jumped up to defend Athena, but they were thrown aside in the surprise attack. Athena watched solemnly as they came near.

"Where is he, Saori?" one asked.

"I don't know where Hades is." Athena replied.

"Don't play dumb with me!" he growled. "I know that this is the first place he would return to once he came back!"

"What are you talking about?" Saori asked.

"Seiya has finished his quest." A voice cried. Dohko paused upon hearing it. "He and Shun should be arriving any minute now. But we are here now."

It was Aldebaran, a large and strong man that wore the armor of Taros and had grey eyes and silver hair. Following him were several dead saints, that made all of the saints pause in wonder and amazement. Geki and Javu greeted their friend Ikki with a smile.

"What's going on?" A silver saint asked.

"The doorway between the land of the living and dead was opened long enough for us to escape to come aide Athena again." Aphrodite cried triumphantly. "Now, it's like we were never dead in the first place."

"And Shun?" Shiryu asked.

"He's with Seiya, wherever he is." Deathmask replied. "But yes, he has escaped from Hades, and he won't be going back."

Those words seemed to cheer the saints up considerably, and the specters found that even the attacks of the bronze saints were suddenly increasing in power. The love saints have for one another could not be broken by Hades.

Shun and Seiya paused above the fight scene, watching carefully. There was no doubt that the specters had the upper hand, but the saints seemed to be faring rather well. Only when Seiya spotted Hyoga nearly fall to a specter did he join the battle.

"Learn what it is you fight for, Shun!" Seiya called as he dove into the battlers.

Several confused saints and specters paused as two Pegasus saints appeared in their midst's, both looking extremely like the other. But Seiya punched the saint that had been attacking Hyoga and pulled him to his feet.

"Seiya!" The saint heard several saints call.

"Seiya, where's Shun?" Hyoga asked.

"He's alright." Seiya replied. "I think he's better than he has been in a long time."

Shun sat there pondering, out of sight. What did he have to fight for? He'd never really given it a thought before. He'd never really wanted to fight. He was too gentle. But now things had changed. He knew he had to fight or he would give up, and that was something that his friends could never take. He knew that he had to fight, and that now there was no turning back. He thought of all his friends, his brother, and all of the people that we counting on him. He was not going to let them down. He summoned his cosmos, and the cloth he was wearing seemed to urge him on, to almost beg him to continue.

One of the specters had noticed him, and now had broken away from Ikki, who he had been fighting not far away. Ikki saw Shun and instantly sprang after the specter towards his brother.

"Shun!" Ikki cried, terrified that he was not going to make it in time.

_No more._ Shun thought. _I'm not going to roll over and die. I'm going to become strong, like Seiya, like Ikki, and all my friends. I'm not just Shun anymore. I am the Andromeda saint, and I belong to no one._

Shun's eyes flew open and he snarled at the specter, gathering his cosmos into a bigger blow than he had ever before tried. The specter paused a moment, and Ikki stopped to, watching in awe at the change that had suddenly come over his brother.

"Nebula Chain!" Shun cried.

The chains that hung from the gauntlets of his armor instantly sprang forward to obey his command, scything across the ground towards the specter that sprang to get away too slowly. He was suddenly surrounded by the Nebula Chains, and unable to get away, felt all of Shun's rage. The specter gave out a pained howl as the lightning that Shun generated, more than he had ever dared to before, slammed into his chest and sent him flying. The specter landed on his back and did not stir. Ikki watched for a moment as the chains receded back to Shun's armor. Where had this strength suddenly come from? But Shun suddenly dropped to the ground, and Ikki jumped forward with a yelp to catch him.

"Shun? Shun!" Ikki cried, holding his younger brother in his arms.

"I think I burned my cosmos too much after just getting back." Shun laughed weakly. Ikki watched him for a moment, stunned. He just starred at his brother's smile. And then he suddenly hugged him, tears streaking down his face.

"You're so stupid, Shun." Ikki told him. Shun just smiled and hugged Ikki back.

"I know." Shun said. "That's why I always need people like you or Seiya to come get me when I'm in trouble."

And the two brothers just sat there like that for a while as the battle raged down below him. Finally, Shun felt like he could relax enough to sleep. He closed his eyes and fell into a deep slumber, knowing that his brother and his friends would watch over him while he dreamed. Ikki smiled down at Shun's face, watching the light play off of his hair and give him a halo. He'd never felt so happy, or at least for as long as he could remember.

Author's Note: This chapter feels a little rushed to me, but I felt like it needed a happier ending. This is the first Chapter where everyone (except Hades) feels good. I wanted to make Shun stronger so that he can grow as my own character, though I'll keep him basically the same, and so that he can learn as the story progresses. So if there are any saint Seiya fans who dislike it, too bad! Its my own story! :P


	5. Evil Is Not Always One's Own Fault

**Ok, sorry, really short chapter. But I know you guys have wanted an update for a while so here it is. I'm not sure where this story is heading, but I like it so far, and I hope that you do too. I don't expect that this will be a very long story, at least at his point, but I do think that it's going to be very confusing as I'm writing it. So for now, sit back and enjoy. And I don't know why all of the chapters are named this way. It just happened…and once again, this is another story that apparently involves the Titans...I just really seem to like them as the antagonists don't I?**

Chapter Five: Evil Is Not Always One's Own Fault

Shun fidgeted in his sleep, and Ikki woke up instantly. They had moved the boy into Athena's temple, and Ikki had gotten permission to stay with him over night. He had not woken up since that afternoon, when the dead first reappeared. It had shocked everyone. The dead were walking among them! But they were also all relieved to see old friends. Ikki checked Shun, but he seemed alright. He wasn't injured. He wasn't in any danger. But he still seemed haunted by something. It made Ikki angry, thinking of how the god must have tortured him. He was going to make the god pay, even if he had to drag the god back into hell himself.

But Ikki didn't know what Shun was dreaming. Shun's sleep was not unnatural. It was actually instinct that drove him to sleep. But they had all forgotten about Hypno, the god of sleep that served Hades. He had opened a passage way at last for his master to enter into Shun's sleep.

_Shun knew something was wrong the moment his feet hit the floor. He couldn't remember how he had gotten here, but he was in a forest. The trees hardly let any light through the canopy, casting the surrounding area into twilight. Shun might have found the scene beautiful, if he hadn't felt a sudden foreboding. _

_Then he felt them, two eyes filled with darkness and hunger. Shun froze out of sheer instinct, and in a moment Hades had come up behind him and pulled him into an embrace. Shun tried to pull away in terror, but the god held on. He felt tears gather into his eyes as the phantom, real or imagined, would not let go._

"_Let go!" he cried. "Don't touch me!"_

"_Do you fear me Shun?" the god asked._

"_Yes." Shun replied, finally stopping trying to pull away and trembling badly. "Of course I fear you. You tortured me in the underworld and stole me from my home and my family. Why would I not fear you?"_

_The god contemplated the boy's answer somewhat sadly. He had fallen in love with the boy, whether he admitted it or not. He loved the boy's gentle eyes. But he loved seeing the fire he had first seen in his eyes even more. He had beaten him. He had because he wanted revenge against Athena. But he had fallen in love. But Hades had no idea how to express love. He had been abandoned too long for that. _

"_Tell me," Hades said. "Why did you run away with that saint?"_

"_Because Seiya loves me!" Shun growled, looking to the god with that fire he so loved in his eyes. "He has promised to take care of me. And he saved me from you. I went with him because I love him too."_

_The god felt a pang of jealousy and couldn't understand why. He turned his angry eyes to the boy and saw the boy flinch and try to pull away again. For the first time, the god felt guilty upon seeing those eyes, so full of terror._

"_But why did you want me?" Shun asked. "I know you said you wanted to have revenge against Athena. But why didn't you just subject me to the worse punishment you had? Why did you keep me close to you? I know you said Athena stole someone from you. But why would you want to do the same? I know you hate the living. The gods have always said you hated the living. I know I made you mad. And yet at times you were so gentle to me. Why is that?"_

"_Why?" the god asked. Shun flinched at his tone of voice and Hades instantly tried his best to soften it. "Because the gods abandoned me. They threw me down into the underworld without a second thought and sealed the doors. I've lived countless centuries looking after their dying human race. I've been labeled countless times as evil. But those first holy wars were only excuses to escape the underworld. Eventually, the gods did release an evil onto the earth. Few remember it, and those who do were never the same afterwards. I myself was infused with the evil of this being. I became the evil they thought I was. And I've tried countless times to purge it out of myself. But I want to destroy. That thing, in its dying breath did this to me. And the gods never even knew what I had given up to protect their reign. I hate them. But you at least, I couldn't bring myself to hate. I don't know why, so don't ask."_

"_What creature was it?" Shun asked quietly. Normally, the god would have become angry at this question and slapped Shun for asking it. But the boy's eyes were so innocent, he sighed and answered._

"_The prison of the Titans is Tartarus, and it exists in the underworld." Hades said. "One of them, a second generation Titan, escaped and tried to resurrect my father, Kronos. I managed to stop him. But he wounded me in a place I could never heal. He was Menoetius, the Titan of violent anger and rash action. He transferred almost all of his anger into me. You saw what the underworld became after that. I used to be a benevolent leader. I used to be kind. But this anger has driven me to become a slave driver. Part of me hates it, part of me loves it. I can't express love anymore. I don't know how."_

"_Then why are you telling me this?" Shun asked._

"_Because I love you."_

_Shun froze out of pure instinct and the god snarled silently to himself. Had he really just said that? Where had he suddenly gained the kindness to say something like that? Shun on the other hand, didn't know what to do. He had fallen in love with the god, though he feared him too. He pitied him, and that pity had become love. It wasn't love of loyalty. It was more like the love of a young school boy for the girl that sits three rows down. But it was love. And it confused him, because he loved Seiya too. Shun had realized that he would have to make a choice, but he didn't know if he had it in him to do it._

_Shun also didn't know how to respond to the god's confession of his past. If what he said was to be believed, then the god wasn't doing this of his own free will. And who knew how many other gods were affected by the same curse as Hades? _

"_One day," Hades growled, "one of the Titans will escape again. It's inevitable. I can already feel them stirring again in Tartarus. I won't be able to defeat the next one on my own. But no one would ever believe me. Why should they, when I've become what they thought I was all along?"_

"_I believe you." Shun replied. "You may have beaten me, but I've never once known you to lie to me."_

_The god was dumbstruck. He had never thought any creature would make him feel the way he did now. He had never thought that he would fear rejection so much. But this boy that he had beaten and abused for so long, had accepted his heartfelt confession without a question. The god had never once told anyone the true story of what had happened. His army knew that he had gone to fight the Titan, and had come back different. They were too loyal to him to ask what had happened. They had always believed that one day he would return to the king he once was. Hades had given up on that himself. But this boy, an insignificant bronze saint of Athena, had managed to melt his stone heart just a little, and find a place to crawl inside._

"_But I don't know how to help you." Shun said. "I can tell Athena, but she won't believe me. I don't know who I could go to."_

"_You could tell Poseidon." Hades said suddenly. "He was there on that final battle too, though he wasn't affected as badly as me. He might help you. Tell him that you know of the thing that happened three thousand years ago. He'll listen to you then."_

"_We had a war with him…" Shun said. "But I'll give it a try." The god watched the saint for a moment._

"_Thank you." He said quietly. The saint looked over his shoulder at the god._

"_I will find a way to help you." Shun said. _

"_And I'll be waiting." Hades said, his voice coming the closet to a purr that it had in nearly a millennium. "I do love you Shun. And if I can, I'll find a way to make it up to you, everything I've done."_

_Then the god broke the contact suddenly. He walked away through the twilight. He knew that Hypno had not heard what they had said, because Hades had ordered him not to listen. He would want to know what Hades had done. Many of his servants had become fond of Shun. They could see the change he had managed to bring to the god. So Hades would tell him not to worry._

Shun awoke with a start, making Ikki jump. The larger saint instantly began worrying over his younger brother, trying to make sure he was alright. Shun assured him that he was alright, but his mind was still on that strange dream. How could he manage everything he had to do? And, how could he manage to talk to Poseidon? He would have to sneak out of the sanctuary unnoticed. And that would cause a panic, especially in the bronze saints. But he had to tell Poseidon that something was wrong. He would know what to do.

**So there is Chapter Five. It's pretty short, but I'll tie it into the story line later. I'll all make sense later I hope. Next, I'll write a chapter where Shun makes up a lie (which of course he'll hate to do) and I'll bring him to Atlantis. The meeting with Poseidon should be interesting. XD**


	6. Occurrences of the Strangest Kind

**Sorry it's taken so long, but I've finally gotten over my technical difficulties with my computer. I'm ready to post more fan fictions when I've got the time. I hope you guys were patient enough to wait. Here's the next chapter of "Love Not Twice" since I promised to update it first.**

Occurrences of the strangest kind

If Shun had been confused before, it was even worse now. He had absolutely no idea how to react to this situation. Saints were trying to ask all of those that had come back from the dead what had happened, and after a while it started to fray some nerves. Shion was the first to be unable to take it any longer. He started to speak, and found that when he was agitated he could only speak in the language of the dead. The others all found the same was true to them. Even sweet little Shun found himself speaking in the evil, hissing language of the underworld. The longer he tried to stop himself, the more frustrated he became. Which didn't help matters. At last, they all stopped trying to talk all together.

"Shun?" Seiya asked as he sat beside him. Shun looked up at him. He seemed about ready to burst into tears. Seiya wouldn't have been able to stand seeing that. "Hey, it's ok alright? It doesn't matter. You're here now, and even if you're speaking that language it's fine. I can tell basically what you mean. Ok? So cheer up."

Shun smiled a little and let Seiya touch his face. He gently nuzzled closer to it. He was right. Seiya could always tell what he was thinking whether or not he said them aloud or kept them a secret. He just knew him that well. But how would Seiya react when he disappeared again? Shun had to find a way to leave soon and tell Poseidon. He needed all the help he could get if he was going to stop what was about to happen...

This only served to make Shun more nervous. But several saints noticed. Deathmask and Aphrodite turned and looked at him, trying to figure out what was wrong. Shun knew, and he didn't want to. At last, the two gold saints came over to him. They couldn't speak in their usual language now, but they could at least understand the one they were speaking in now.

"Shun?" Deathmask asked. "Is something wrong?"

"Do you know something?" Aphrodite asked.

"N-no..." he said. He looked away. He was a bad liar, but he wasn't sure how anyone would take the news.

"Yes you do." Deathmask said. "So what is it? Tell us."

"Is it about Hades?" Aphrodite asked.

"Yes..." Shun said.

"Is it something bad?" Deathmask asked. "Is he planning something?"

"Not really." Shun said. "Actually, it's about something that he's been trying to stop from happening for a while, and why he is why he is."

"Shun?" Aphrodite asked worriedly. "Are you ok? You look kind of pale..."

"I don't know..." Shun said. "how would you feel if you knew something that no one else in the world would believe or understand if you told them? I know something...something so horrible...and if I don't get the help of this one person, then everything we know will be destroyed."

"What?" Aphrodite asked. "Do you really think that whatever Hades is trying to stop is that important?" Shun nodded and they sighed.

"Then we have to believe you." Deathmask said. "Where's the person you need help from? Maybe we can help."

"That's just it." Shun said. "The person I need to talk to is in Atlantis." Both gold saints froze abruptly and watched him. He looked away and Seiya watched him, uncomprehending.

"Who is it?" Aphrodite asked.

"Poseidon." Shun said. "He's the only other one that knows."

The two gold saints looked at one another. Would they believe him? Should he have said anything at all? They seemed unconvinced, but they knew that Shun wouldn't be worrying about this so much if it wasn't something big. At last they both sighed.

"We can send him a message." Deathmask said. "It'll have to be secretly of course, but we can get his attention at least."

"I don't know why you want to contact him though." Aphrodite said. "He's becoming such a spiteful god. He's becoming like Hades. It's strange though. At one point they were both such kind gods. I wondered what happened..." Then they both froze abruptly.

"Shun," Deathmask said "do you know what happened?"

"Yes." Shun said quietly. "I know what happened. And if we don't stop it from happening again, there's no telling who else will fall like Poseidon and Hades did..."

"What was it?" Aphrodite asked. Shun looked away.

"I told you," Shun replied. "you wouldn't believe me. We need to send that message to Poseidon. Just send him my name and these words: 'I know what happened three thousand years ago.'"

"Alright." Deathmask said. "We'll send the message."

"But try to act a little more cheerful. I think you're worrying a lot of people." Aphrodite replied.

The two gold saints got up and left, and the greenette turned and looked at the other boy beside him. Seiya had been watching the whole conversation without understanding what they were talking about. However, he realized that it had been very serious. He didn't really know what was going on, but he didn't like that Shun had somehow gotten mixed up in the middle of it. He wanted nothing more than to protect the boy. Gently, he pulled Shun into his lap, and Shun let him wrap his arms around his waist.

"You just can't seem to stay out of trouble can you?" Seiya asked, laying his head on the boy's shoulder. He had become very protective of Shun lately, and kept him near at all times. He had also begun to show much more affection towards the boy. Shun replied by nuzzling closer to him. He didn't know how else to.

Several saints saw them, but they let them be. They could only imagine what Hades must have done to Shun. It couldn't have been easy for such a sweet child. If being with Seiya made him forget even a little of that cruelty then they wouldn't dare stop them. It didn't matter if they were too young. They couldn't stand the thought of what the god might have done to him.

But then a dark shadow seemed to fall over the sanctuary, and the saints all jumped up as one to face the strange threat. Shun felt his heart racing a little. He knew this presence. He stood and Seiya did too, pushing him a little behind him. Pandora had just appeared. But to everyone's surprise, she was unarmed and seemed confused. Saori stepped forward.

"What do you want?" She asked.

"I'm here to deliver a message." Pandora replied. She looked at Shun. "Hades has called off the Holy War." There was nothing but a breathless silence.

"Why?" Saori managed to ask.

"I don't know." Pandora replied. "Hades is so complicated these days."

"These days?" Athena asked. Pandora looked at her.

"Yes. He was at one time a kind god. You know this. But three thousand years ago that suddenly changed. And Poseidon did too."

"That's right..." Athena said. "but none of the gods know what happened. The events leading up to it, the event itself, none of it. There's simply a blank spot in the memories of everyone."

"We've served Hades faithfully for all of that time." Pandora said. "We hoped he would return to the kind king he was. But now, something evil stirs in a place far deeper than the underworld. Hades has become more and more unsettled, and more and more anxious. We don't know what to do anymore. I've never seen him so scared before."

"Hades is scared?" Athena gasped. "How can this be? He's one of the most powerful gods! If whatever this is scares him...gods what evil is this?"

"I don't know." Pandora said. But then she saw Shun. He had turned very pale and was trembling badly. His eyes were glued to the ground. Athena turned and saw him.

"Shun?" Saori asked. "Do you know what's going on?" He looked up at her slowly and nodded.

"What is it?" Pandora asked. Shun watched her for a moment. He found he could still only speak in the language of the underworld, but Pandora could understand him fine.

"The Titans..." he said quietly. There was silence among all of the people that could understand him. None of the others could tell what was going on, but they understood instantly that something bad was happening. All of those who could understand him were completely frozen in terror.

"Are you sure?" Pandora asked. "Are you completely sure?"

"Yes. It couldn't be anything else. It's happened before..." Shun stopped abruptly and winced. He couldn't believe he had just said that.

"What do you mean it's happened before?" Pandora gasped. Athena could only understand Pandora, who was speaking in their usual tongue.

"What? What's wrong?" She asked. Pandora was too distressed to answer.

"Well..." Shun said nervously. "Hades told me about it."

"About what?" Pandora asked. Shun was silent for a moment.

"About what happened three thousand years ago." Shun said.

"They escaped?" Pandora breathed.

"Only one." Shun said. "You know that he went to fight him, but you don't remember what he was or what he did."

"Which one was he?" She demanded.

"The Titan of violent anger and rash action." Shun said. "In the final battle, he transferred his hatred into Hades and Poseidon."

"But that's...impossible..." Pandora breathed. No one else seemed to know how to react either.

"Is it really?" Shun replied simply. No one else seemed to know what to say. There was silence as Pandora told everyone what Shun had just said. Again, a breathless silence followed.

"I take it Hades has been talking." Said another familiar voice. Slowly, everyone turned to look. It was Poseidon with several of his Mariners. They looked nervous and out of place. But Poseidon looked down right dangerous.

"P-Poseidon?" Athena gasped. "What are you doing here?"

"I received a message too." he said simply. "Of a different sort. But I'm here now."

"Then, is it true?" Athena asked. He snarled but nodded.

"Yes it's true." Poseidon said. "But Hades managed to protect me from most of that attack. That's why Hades seems so evil now. He has an irrational anger that he can not control. Perhaps that was what he was really trying to: to tell someone he knew would finally believe him. Even I can't tell what is going on in his head anymore."

"Then what should we do?" Pandora asked. "Shun says it's happening again."

"I have no idea." Poseidon replied simply.

Shun nervously shifted his weight, trying to ease some of the nervousness he felt. But he wasn't sure it was helping. Seiya took his hand in his and gave it a gentle squeeze. That made him feel worse.

**Ok, so this was another really short chapter, but I felt like this was a good enough place to stop. I hope you enjoy the story, because I still don't know where it's going... Lol.**


	7. Tired Hearts of Steel

**Alright, since I haven't done this story in a while, and I think there has been a lot of people asking for it, I'm going to update Love Not Twice. I'm working as fast as I can to update all of my stories, but I've got some issues in school. So please bear with me. Thanks for everyone who reads my stories and to everyone who gives me encouragement with your comments. BTW: in the first paragraph you'll read about something called "the witching hour", which is in fact a real time of the day, and I described it as accurately as I could. If you've ever been camping and listened at this time, you'll find it's very creepy. **

Tired Hearts of Steel

It was the dead of night. Shun should have been asleep. But he couldn't sleep. He only laid there where Seiya had insisted he stay -by his side with his head resting on the Pegasus saint's chest- and watched the sky wheel overhead in its never ending cycle. Everyone else was asleep. Even those who came from the Underworld and were used to by now the darkness of death. It was three o' clock in the morning, the hour where every living creature, even those that dwelt in the night time went inside their dens and left the air silent. It seemed as if the entire world was holding its breath, afraid of something. The world was eerily quiet. This was known by many as "the witching hour", the time when mischief and evil was most often seen. It was the hour when all creatures that had any sense slept on and tried to ignore the horrors that the shadows could hold.

But Shun couldn't sleep. His mind was filled with many other thoughts. He was nervous. How would Hades respond when he learned that he had let his secret slip? He couldn't help it though. Shun couldn't keep a secret from anyone. But that made Shun feel absolutely horrible. He had promised the god that he wouldn't tell anyone, that he would help him. But he had told. Shun once again felt useless. He couldn't understand why anyone would ever want to save him. He couldn't even help someone when they needed it.

But Shun was also afraid of the terrors that lurked underneath his feet, beyond his understanding. The Titans were rising, and this time, there was no clue how many of them would come up. Could they even fight a Titan? Hades and Poseidon were powerful gods, and they had almost paid with their lives for their bravery. But perhaps it was better that the world finally knew what had really happened. Maybe, someone could find a way to help them in the way that they hadn't been able to for years. But the Titans...what terrible enemies. Shun shuddered at the thought, and Seiya who was really a light sleeper, immediately woke when he felt it. He gently brushed Shun's hair.

"Shun?" he whispered "Are you OK? What's wrong?"

"I'm fine..." Shun said halfheartedly. Seiya kissed his forehead, worried.

"No you're not." he replied "You haven't been for weeks, since Poseidon came here. You're worrying so much. But you don't have to. Now everyone knows and we'll find a way to fix things."

"I do have to worry about it." Shun said. "You wouldn't understand..."

"Then let me." Seiya said, gently kissing the boy's neck. Shun shuddered but nuzzled his face against Seiya's.

"I can't...I'm sorry..." Shun replied, feeling tears spring to his eyes.

"Hey, don't cry." Seiya said, startled. He couldn't take it if Shun started to cry. He whipped them away and kissed his forehead, his cheek, his neck, trying to distract him with the gentle attention. Shun's distress eased a little with amusement. Seiya was so outgoing, just the opposite of him. "Don't cry. I understand. You don't have to tell me. Just know that I'll always be here for you, OK? Try to sleep."

They were alone, in a house inside the sanctuary. Many such houses existed for the saints to live in. This one had belonged to Seiya, and everyone kept insisting that Shun stay with him for the night. His sad eyes had improved a bit since he had come back, always by Seiya's side. None of the saints could stand to see his gentle smile gone. It wasn't right, but at least now he was safe, and his heart was beginning to heal a little. It made the saints much happier to see a little light return the the young Andromeda saint's eyes. Seiya held Shun gently with one hand, stroking his hair gently with other. He hummed a pretty tune to him. Seiya had a beautiful voice, and he could sing well, but he only ever sung when he was alone with Shun. Shun expected that the song was from Seiya's mother, what little he could remember of her before the car accident orphaned him and his sister.

The moonlight softly came in through the window. It cast them in a pale light. Normally, Shun would have found the sight beautiful, but now he almost found it unbearable. Sudden emotions welled up inside of him. He felt guilty, sad, angry, bitter, and strangely alone, even though Seiya was right next to him. He couldn't understand why. He didn't miss Hades, not that much at least, but he was sick at heart. All of the saints could see it. He was confused, and he didn't understand why. Seiya noticed with a frown as he continued to hum to him. It was unfair. Shun shouldn't have been so sad. He was sick, and Seiya didn't know how to help him. But he wanted to. Suddenly, he felt the need to say something, anything.

"Shun?" Seiya asked.

"Yes?" Shun asked in return.

"No matter what happens, you'll always be perfect to me."

Shun paused, and then he smiled a little. Seiya always knew somehow what to say to make him feel better. It was amazing the way he could do that. Shun didn't know why, but those words so simple and something someone might say to him any day, calmed him and made him so happy. Somehow, those gentle words of acceptance had healed Shun's heart even more. Seiya felt relieved when he felt Shun relax into his embrace. He had been so tense.

"How do you do that?" Shun asked. "You always know what to say to make me feel better. Those were the words I needed to hear, even though I don't know why I needed to hear them."

"Do I?" Seiya laughed softly. "I'm glad you're a little happier now. You've been bottling so much inside, you can't hold it all by yourself Shun. You need to let someone know. All of this worry, it's making you sick. You don't know what to do. I understand. But you don't need to bear it by yourself. I hope you'll trust someone enough to let them know."

Shun paused. Was that really why he was hurting so badly? But come to think of it, he hadn't ever held so many secrets before in his life. He was such a sweet and innocent boy that secrets seemed almost to be something he found evil in a way. But now he was keeping them. He realized suddenly that he was sad and sick because he didn't know how to cope with them. But now what hurt more was that Seiya had said that he didn't trust him. Shun knew he loved and trusted Seiya very much, but Seiya didn't seem to think that was true. Suddenly, Shun started to sob without meaning to. He couldn't stand the thought that Seiya didn't think he trusted him, but it also brought an impossible thought to his mind: did Seiya not love him as much as he loved him? He instantly knew it was wrong and cried harder for it. Seiya was startled suddenly and saddened, as much by Shun's sudden release of his secrets in his mind as his sobbing. And he felt guilty that he made him cry. He cradled the boy in his arms and kissed his forehead, holding him firmly.

"It's OK, it's OK." he said. "Don't cry. It's OK..."

Seiya was very distressed. He didn't know why the boy was crying, only that he couldn't stand the fact that he was. He held him, kissing his forehead, his cheek, tasting the bitter tears, and whispering to him that everything was alright. Seiya hated to see him cry. The boy was too sweet and beautiful for that. If felt like his whole world was crashing down on him when he saw the boy's tears. But eventually, Shun's sobbing began to subside, enough that it became nothing more than a hiccup of what was left. Seiya gently stroked the boy's hair to calm him. At last, Shun spoke.

"Seiya, I do trust you..." he said. "You know I do. And I love you. I'm just so confused..."

"About what?" Seiya asked, trying to sound as soothing as possible.

"Hades..." Shun said. "While I was down there, I began to feel for him..." Seiya paused, listening. Shun suddenly felt very afraid of the boy's reaction, but he couldn't stop himself from telling him everything. "I started to love him I think. That's what he wanted. But I was scared of him too. I didn't love him like I love you, but I pitied him, and I wanted to help him. But I hated him too. I don't know what to do Seiya! How can all of these emotions exist in my head at once?" Seiya remained silent, completely still. Shun grew more afraid and tears started to fall again. "I don't know what's up and what's down anymore! And I want to help him, but I betrayed his trust in me too. I told everyone his darkest secret and now I'm scared of what he'll do. I feel so useless now! What should I do?" he started to sob again. "I'm sorry Seiya! I'm so sorry... don't be mad at me please..." Seiya suddenly seemed to come out of a reserve. More than anything, he loved the boy and wanted to help him. It hurt, thinking that Shun thought he was mad for saying what had been bothering him for so long. But then again, he hadn't made the boy feel any better by reacting the way he had. He was surprised, and he was jealous for a moment. But not anymore. He couldn't stand Shun's tears. He hugged Shun to his chest tighter as the small boy was wracked with sobs. He kissed his head, rocking him slightly to calm him.

"I'm not mad Shun." he said. "I promise. I'm just surprised. Don't cry sweet heart. I'm here..." he continued rocking him as he sobbed, all of his tension just suddenly released at once. Seiya remained silent for a while, thinking. "I don't know what to do either Shun. I don't know how to help you. But I love you. I just want you to be happy. And I think Hades will understand why you told everyone. I don't know how to help you confusion with Hades, but know that I'll always be here to do what I can. You're not useless. I already told you that. You're my sun, and my moon. I have to be near you. And everyone needs you for your smile. You're not useless, you're strong in you own way, much stronger than I am. That's why I love you." Shun's sobs subsided a little.

"I'm scared..." Shun said. Seiya kissed his head, still rocking him.

"It's OK." he replied. "I'm right here...don't be scared. Everything will work out in the end..." Shun buried his face into Seiya's chest, completely unsure of what to do. Seiya looked down at him a little sadly. "You know, no one sees you smile anymore. It's because of all of this worry and guilt you carry around. But we love your smile, and you without it just seems wrong. Everyone's worried about you. They don't know what's wrong, and they want to help you. But now you've told me. You don't have to carry this around by yourself anymore. I'm here to help you. So smile for me Shun. You don't have to feel this way anymore, because I'll help you bear it. Isn't the load lighter when someone helps you carry it?" Shun's sobbing at last died away again.

"Yes..." Shun said quietly. He knew that Seiya hated to see him cry, and he was sorry to make him worry so much. But he was right. Somehow, releasing all of that pent up emotion made him feel so much lighter. "I'm sorry..." Seiya stopped rocking him but frowned at him as he looked up at him.

"Don't say that." he said. "You have nothing to be sorry for. You're human. We all do that sometimes. So stop apologizing for everything. You can't change that."

"I'll try..." Shun said. Seiya watched him, but the boy looking so pitiful that he couldn't stand it. He gently placed his fingers underneath the boy's chin and pushed his head upwards. Shun winced a little from the memory of what Hades had done after he did that, but Seiya was gentle and Shun trusted him. Very carefully, Seiya leaned in and kissed Shun.

It was the first time he'd really ever kissed him like that. He'd done it before, but mostly when they were children and to bug Shun. When they were kids, Seiya had instantly fallen charmed with the timid boy, though he wasn't sure how to express his feelings. He had often kissed Shun because it would make Shun cry and grow embarrassed. Seiya was always a very outgoing boy, and Shun was not. But Seiya always had "fun" with him that way. He picked on Shun all the time, though he regretted it always when Ikki got a hold of him. In fact, he did it so much that sometimes Seiya wondered how he had ever gotten Shun to fall in love with him too when they got older and met again in the sanctuary. But then again, Shun could always see the good in everybody.

He had never kissed Shun like this though. Before, he had been afraid of spooking the boy, but now he wanted to distract him. He was still worried how Shun react, but the boy, as always, was patient and docile under his touch. Shun in fact, felt his heart race a little, which made Seiya nervous because he thought he had scared him. But Shun was happy. It confused him at first. But he was undeniably happy. He loved Seiya, and he was glad how their love had finally blossomed. He enjoyed the contact.

At last Seiya released Shun, pausing to see how the boy would react. But Shun silently settled down again on Seiya's chest, nuzzling closer to him. Seiya felt a smile touch his lips, a gentle and loving smile as he gazed down at the greenette. He absolutely adored Shun. Shun looked up and saw his smile. Then, for the first time since he had come back to the world of the living from the underworld, he smiled gently at him. Seiya felt relieved to see that smile again, and he kissed Shun's forehead. He would do anything to see that smile again.

"There." Seiya said. "That's much better. Never forget that smile OK?"

"I won't." Shun said quietly.

"Get some sleep." Seiya said. "You've hardly slept in days. I'll be right here, and I won't let anything happen. I'll be right here all night long."

Shun nodded and exhausted, fell asleep. Seiya found himself relaxing too as he felt the boy relax. He listened to the boy's even breathing, felt his heart beating against his chest. Seiya breathed for this boy. He kissed his head again gently. He would let Shun sleep for as long as he needed. His body knew how much. He wouldn't wake him until he was ready. Seiya sighed, letting himself calm. He had been worried about Shun, but it seemed like he would be OK now, at least more than he had been.

But it hadn't always been that way. When Seiya and Shun had first met, he hadn't been kind to him at all. He was always picking on him and aggravating his brother. Shun even told him once that he hated him. Of course, he hadn't meant it, but it had deeply confused Seiya. Then they both went their separate ways to train to become saints. Shun had gone off to Andromeda Island, a place that was as hot as Death Valley in the day and as cold as the Arctic Tundra in the night. It was a terrible place, and as Seiya got older he thought of Shun more and more. He was such a gentle boy. He probably wouldn't survive that hell hole. The thought saddened him. He had parted terribly with the boy, and now he wasn't going to be able to make it up to him. It filled him with an aching confusion.

But suddenly, as they had returned to Saori, he found that Shun hadn't died. In fact, he had done the impossible and become the Andromeda saint. Seiya found that he was proud of the timid boy, and awed by his strength of perseverance. And overtime as they fought side by side, Seiya had grown very fond of the boy. But as outgoing as he was, whenever he thought of talking to the beautiful boy -with his sparkling blue eyes, thick eyelashes and almost womanlike form- he grew suddenly nervous and could never come forward and admit his feelings. But overtime, Shun too became smitten with Seiya. He loved how outgoing he was, how he could talk to anyone. He loved his eyes, his strong arms, and his calm voice. But he too was too shy to speak to him about it. At last however, when they found themselves alone, the words had slipped out of Seiya's mouth before he could stop it. Seiya had been terrified that he had scared the young boy off, but though he blushed furiously, he smiled and accepted. Seiya had become the happiest person on the planet. That was why he had saved Shun. Not only did he love him, but he loved him with such a passion that Seiya could find no words to describe it. He couldn't let Hades steal him from him yet. Eventually, it was inevitable. But not now. Not while they were still young and had their lives in front of them. Seiya would love him as long as his mortal life would allow, and even in the horrors of the tortures of the Underworld, he would always love Shun.

But Seiya grew a little sad again as he thought how Shun had been acting for the past few weeks since Poseidon had arrived in the sanctuary and stayed with Athena. He seemed so distant and distressed. Several of his friends from Andromeda Island had come to talk to him. They too had parted horribly with Shun once he had become the Andromeda saint and beat them. But though a few of them had sworn to hate him forever, they couldn't manage it. He was too sweet for that. And besides, though many of them had felt embittered towards him, when they heard of what Hades had done they had all become completely heartbroken. The entire sanctuary was. It hurt them terribly to lose the boy.

They had come, trying to talk to him, to say they were sorry. They said it several times, and they told him stories of fond times they had with him there on Andromeda Island. But Shun had never responded more than just to look at them blankly. He had done that with everybody, even Seiya. Only at night would Shun talk to him, when he was so worried and alone that he needed the company. It saddened everyone. They couldn't stand to see him so torn inside. But now that Shun had finally confessed, Seiya hoped he would be able to return somewhat to normal, and stop worrying them all so much. Maybe now he would finally start to heal. No one had known why Shun was so distant, but now Seiya did, and Shun didn't have to bear this burden alone. Seiya was greatly touched by the boy's trust, and gently kissed his head again.

_Don't worry everyone. _Seiya thought. _Shun's fine now. I think he'll start to heal, even if only a little, and we can see him smile again. He's broken, but he's a beautiful person and his happy nature can't stay down for long. His heart may be tired, but it's full of steel. It's not the steel that cuts, or even one that can hurt. But it's steel all the same: the steel of the light that can melt the hardest stone heart and bring sunshine to everyone. I just hope he can find it again. We need some light now._

Shun stirred a little in his sleep but nuzzled closer to Seiya's chest, and the saint smiled at him gently and kissed his eyes, first the left then the right, very gently.

"Sleep well sweet heart." Seiya whispered to him.

**So there's the chapter. I hope you liked because I thought it was just adorable! XD**

**Anyway, I'll add more story line into the next chapter, but I felt compelled to add this chapter to not only explain how Shun and Seiya got together as a couple, but also to deepen their relationship. Tell me what you think below?**


	8. Of Minds and Men

**So, sorry for any confusion, but I will explain in this chapter about how Seiya could understand what Shun was saying even though he was really upset. I hope that helps for anyone who was wondering. I'll also add (hopefully) some more story line into this one, as well as make things a little worse for our heroes. Because let's face it, the heroes need some obstacle to overcome. The first one was the Underworld, and now it'll be something else. I hope you enjoy and keep reading! You're comments and questions are always welcome too!**

Of Minds and Men

Shun awoke, feeling much more rested than he had in many weeks. He felt much better too, somehow knowing that he wasn't alone. He suddenly felt much stronger, much more free. And he felt a small smile touch his lips without really knowing why. But then again, he used to do that a lot. Now he was slowly beginning to return to normal. Shun sat up, looking around. He was alone in this room of the house. Seiya had already left the bed but left him in it to sleep on. He could hear Seiya humming a tune in another room as he cooked. Shun smiled again. Not many people knew that Seiya could cook either. But then again, Seiya had many such secrets that he told no one but Shun.

Shun looked towards the window, blinking against the flood of light. As his eyes grew adjusted to it, he frowned. Looking at the sky, he could tell that it was already well past noon. He had slept practically all day long. Why would Seiya let him sleep that long? Normally, Shun wouldn't have wondered why, but Shun had been so worried and exhausted for the past few days that he hadn't been sleeping much at all. Now it seemed he was trying to make up for it. But with everything that was going on, there wasn't time for that. He had to be up and moving.

Shun continued to frown as he wondered about that. The whole week before he'd been practically a dead person. He was alive, but he didn't respond to anything. He was simply going through the motions of everyday life and worrying constantly. But even if he had wanted during the day to tell anyone what was wrong, he couldn't have. The saints from the Underworld found out several days ago that when they were worked up enough, they couldn't talk in their normal language during the day, though at night when the sun went down they could. It must have been because, after being dead, they were used to the language, and only spoke to each other in their own regular language when the darkness fell. They were so used to the darkness that it was when their bodies finally acted normally. The realization made several of the saints nervous, but they were beginning to calm down, and to talk in their regular language again.

Shun felt a little guilty now. He had worried everyone. He had been acting so strangely for days and they had tried over and over again to help him. But he was so worried and lost in his thoughts that he could hardly understand what was going on at times. He hoped they would forgive him. But he was back to normal now, at least more than usual. Hopefully, it would make them all feel a little more at ease and they could go on with their lives. He had already promised to keep on fighting. He had forgotten it in his worry, but he wouldn't now. He knew he could never keep a secret again. He would tell Seiya whatever was bothering him, and that way his friends could relax.

Seiya came in the room with a plate. He hadn't expected Shun to be awake, but now that he was he was glad. He paused at the door, watching the boy. He seemed more alert than he had been in a while. But he was frowning as he thought. Seiya came over to him and gently sat on the bed beside him. Shun continued to frown but turned to look at Seiya. The Pegasus saint was glad to see that his friend's eyes were much more alive now. He handed Shun the plate.

"Go ahead and eat it." he said. "You must be starving. You've been asleep for two days."

"Two days?" Shun gasped, thankfully, in a language Seiya could understand.

"Yes." Seiya said. "But everyone thought it best that you sleep. You haven't been sleeping well, and no one wanted to wake you up. You needed the rest."

"Why didn't you wake me?" Shun demanded, ignoring the plate in his lap. "There are much more important things to do right now!" Seiya paused, surprised by the boy's sudden fire. But then he smiled.

"Thank goddess." he said. "You've been so worried for weeks that you haven't been doing anything. I'm glad to see that you're starting to act normal again. Everyone will be." Shun paused as Seiya reached up and brushed the hair from his eyes, fingering the emerald locks for a moment.

"You still should have waked me..." Shun mumbled, adverting his gaze. Seiya looked at the boy and then kissed his cheek.

"I didn't want to. You're really cute when you sleep." Seiya teased him. "Now eat. You need to. I know you're hungry." Shun looked up at Seiya again, and couldn't help but give him a shy little smile. Seiya smiled back, his eyes full of relief and love.

Shun silently ate what Seiya had given him. Normally, Shun would have told Seiya he was being too indulgent with such extravagant food. But Seiya had been cooking this way for several days, trying to get him to come out of his stupor. And now Seiya's bright eyes were just too much to resist. Shun knew he was worried, and though Shun sometimes thought Seiya was trying to spoil him with all of the attention, he didn't have it in his heart right now to try and resist him. Seiya was really worried about him, and it was his fault he was. He ate the food as Seiya watched, making sure that he ate it all. A couple times, Seiya had to force feed Shun over the past few weeks. He hated doing it, especially when the boy had obviously not understood what was happening and had been completely terrified. But now he was very glad when Shun ate everything by himself. Seiya kissed his forehead.

"Do you want anything else to eat?" Seiya asked.

"No, I'm fine." Shun promised. "I've had enough. Stop trying to spoil me so much."

"Only when you start acting completely normal again." Seiya teased him.

"I'm fine Seiya." Shun protested with a blush as the other boy kissed his cheek gently.

"You're not acting that way around our friends. They're really worried." Seiya said. "Especially your friends from Andromeda Island. Did you know they came all the way here to see you?" Seiya took the plate from Shun, laying it on the bedside table. Shun knew he was teasing him. He was always teasing him.

"Yes, I know they're here." Shun said. Seiya leaned Shun down so that he was laying down on the pillow again. Then he laid down too, resting his head on Shun's chest. He sighed as he listened to the boy's heart beat. Shun gently wrapped Seiya into a hug, stroking his hair gently. "I'm fine. I promise. More fine than I've been in a while. Just, thank you for listening."

"I'm always here to listen." Seiya said, relaxing into the boy's arms. "But you've worried everyone so much...you'll have to go back out there soon. Are you going to be OK with that?"

"Yes, I'll be fine." Shun said. "I'm not worrying anymore." then he playfully reached forward and poked Seiya's nose with his forefinger. "Just make sure you don't leave me alone. I might wonder off the edge of a cliff or something."

"No you wouldn't." Seiya said.

"Then stop treating me that way. I'm fine."

"OK, OK, I get it." Seiya sighed. "But I'm still not letting you out of my sight. Now hurry up and get dressed you silly boy. You can't walk around the sanctuary in your bed clothes."

Shun released Seiya and let him sit up, though he leaned in and kissed the greenette's forehead before moving to let him up. Then Shun stood and began to dress, under the ever watchful eyes of Seiya. Normally, Shun would have become extremely embarrassed with the boy watching him, but after being dead for a while it hardly seemed to matter. Besides, he knew that Seiya wasn't going anywhere. He was too worried about him for that. And as much as Shun had been afraid in the underworld, he knew he could always trust Seiya the moment he spoke after finding him in that room.

No sooner than Shun had finished buttoning the white overalls that he usually wore over his green shirt, Seiya scooped the boy into his arms again and held him there gently, breathing in his sweet scent and enjoying the feeling of having the boy's thin frame pulled tightly against his. Shun laid his head on Seiya's shoulder, listening to his heart beat in the silence, his breath enter and leave his lungs. Before, they had been reserved. They hadn't approached each other very often and Seiya had always been careful not to spook the boy. But after their trip to the Underworld and escaping from there together, they had become instinctively inseparable. Seiya kissed the boy's forehead, and Shun closed his eyes trustingly under his lips.

"You're so beautiful." Seiya breathed into the boy's ear.

"You're trying to spoil me." Shun warned halfheartedly. But Seiya only laughed softly and kissed his cheek.

"So what if I am?" Seiya asked. "You need to be spoiled a little. Besides, I've waited a long time for you to be all mine. I know we're too young to be full partners, but that doesn't mean we can't love each other like this. I'm fine with holding you in my arms and kissing you. It doesn't ever have to go farther than that if you don't want it to. Just promise me you'll always be mine."

"Of course." Shun said with a smile, nuzzling closer to Seiya's chest and playfully hiding his face so Seiya couldn't kiss him again. "Even death can't tear us apart. We already found that out, didn't we?"

"Mhm..." Seiya purred as he kissed the top of Shun's head. They sat that way for a while, glad in each others company. Then at last, Shun looked up at Seiya.

"We should go." Shun said. "I think it's time everyone relaxed a bit."

"Me too." Seiya said. "Did you know that a couple of the gold saints refused to let me outside for a while? They wanted me to stay with you."

"Then we should tell them to scram." Shun replied with a soft laugh that made Seiya's heart thrill.

Seiya released Shun, picking up the plate and taking it to the kitchen. He sat it in the sink so he could wash it later, and then returned to Shun's side. They both put on their cloths, which seemed only too happy to obey, and at last turned and walked outside.

Shun had to blink in the sunlight. It was bright inside but much brighter outside. Besides the fact that the two gold saints standing outside and his and Seiya's own cloths didn't help by reflecting the light. He shielded his eyes for a moment against the influx of sunlight. One of the gold saints was Mu, who had helped Seiya, Shun, and their friends countless times on their journeys. The other was Shion. The two had been talking together as master and pupil about the constant warning signs they were receiving now. They had turned when they heard the door open and were surprised to see both Seiya and Shun. But they also noticed instantly that shun was much more alert than normal, and they were relieved to see it. Shun's eyes adjusted at last and he looked up at the two saints. Then he smiled.

"Mu?" Seiya asked "Shion? What are you doing here?"

"Ah," Mu said, turning to Seiya. "Saori told us to come in case anything happened."

"But we're glad to see that Shun is better now." Shion replied while returning the smile. "we were all worried."

"I'm fine now. Everything was just a little mixed up in my head. You don't have to worry." Shun replied gently. The two Aries saints were very pleased to hear him speak too.

"That's good to hear." Mu said, smiling gently at Shun. Worry seemed to drain out of the atmosphere. "Then why don't you two let everyone else know that you're fine now too? I think it will ease everyone's minds."

"Yeah," Seiya said. "That's probably a good idea. I think Ikki's been pacing around here for too long. He's a free spirit, just like Phoenix. He can't be bound to one place for long. The only reason he's still hanging around is because he's worried about you."

"Perhaps," Mu said. "But there's much to be worried about now." the two bronze saints looked at him thoughtfully.

"Go on." Shion told them. Shun and Seiya glanced at each other and then turned and walked away towards the training grounds.

They walked in silence. Mu's words had struck a warning note in their minds. But then again, Mu had always been the one to give them fair warning about everything. They knew he had been giving them an order even if Shion thought he was only going to frighten them. He was telling them to be on their guard.

The two saints were not talking for a while, but then, as they drew closer to the center of the sanctuary, Shun's playful nature won out again and he started smiling and a little of his normal grace returned to his step. Seiya couldn't help but smile at him. He was so perfect.

Seiya always wondered how he had gotten Shun to like him. Shun was sweet and kind. He was beautiful as well as bright and cheerful. He could always find a way to make everyone smile with a simple word. He wasn't the most powerful saint, but his smile was a mighty weapon. Didn't he already prove that by making even Hades fall in love with him? Shun was an angel that had fallen from heaven. Seiya was always thinking that. It was like he was a creature that had fallen out of the myths of ancient Greece and come to live on earth. If Seiya hadn't have seen him before as a child, when they met again he almost would have sworn he had just met a god. But Seiya on the other hand felt he was nothing like Shun, and far from perfect. He was stubborn and sometimes mean spirited. He was often selfish. He was being selfish right now by making Shun stay so close to him. But he couldn't help it. He was thrilled and a little humbled that Shun had chosen him, out of all of the saints in the sanctuary.

Shun felt much the same way about Seiya. He often wondered why Seiya had fallen in love with him in the first place. Shun had always been cautious in the sanctuary, because many saints had "fallen in love with him" for his uncommon beauty. But Shun knew that many of these saints could never really love him. They only wanted him, like some kind of prize. That make Shun become very self conscious, even shy, and he began to hate how beautiful he was. But then he had met Seiya again. He couldn't understand it, but he couldn't get him out of his mind. The longer they fought together, the longer he found himself watching him. He loved how outgoing and noble Seiya was, and though he was selfish, he could always speak his mind to anyone. He could overcome any obstacle, and he always did it with that big goofy grin that Shun somehow found charming. Shun was the exact opposite of him. But still, he had asked Shun, and Shun couldn't help but accept.

Even so, Shun couldn't help but be distant. He didn't know what love really was, and he was scared to find out. He was very shy at first when all of the bronze saints found out, but even Ikki had told Shun that he had caught the eye of a very fine saint, and that they were meant to be together. Seiya was always very careful not to push Shun though. And after Shun had died they had both realized that they loved each other very much. Shun couldn't understand at first why Seiya would have risked everything to come save him. But now he knew. Seiya loved him, and he cherished that love.

At last, they had reached the training grounds. Here saints of all kinds were training as the Mariners of Poseidon looked on with interest. There were mostly bronze saints though. As Shun looked on, he suddenly seemed to realize something. He turned suddenly to Seiya.

"Seiya," he said worriedly. "I think I've forgotten how to sense the seventh sense." Seiya looked at him.

"Do you think that's why you've been so weak here lately?" Seiya asked. "Because somehow you lost track of it?"

"Yes," Shun said. "but when did I lose it?"

"It was probably when Hades started catching up with you." Seiya said, gently kissing Shun's cheek. "Don't worry, it's nothing to worry about. All you need is to sense it again. You already know how. So you should be able to battle with a gold saint and regain it."

"That kind of makes me nervous though." Shun said.

"Why? You can beat them." Seiya said.

"No, I might hurt someone." Shun said with a shy smile.

"Is that all?" Seiya gasped playfully. "You're a saint, not a squirrel. You can fight anyone here, probably."

"OK, OK, stop teasing." Shun laughed quietly. "I'll go."

"You're a wonderful person Shun." Seiya laughed quietly. "Just remember that there are some battles that you can't run away from."

"Yeah I know." Shun said.

Then he turned and walked down the steps towards the center of the training grounds, Seiya close behind. Several saints stopped as they saw Shun, relieved to see that he was alright. He saw June and several of his friends from Andromeda Island as they waved to him, and he gave them a gentle smile. The entire atmosphere changed. Everyone was glad to see that Shun was starting to return to normal. They had no idea what had happened, but Seiya seemed to be starting to heal his heart. And they were all glad for it. All of the battles had stopped by the time Shun and Seiya had reached the bottom and stepped into the training grounds, and even the Mariners were watching them. Shun felt a little self conscious, but not like he would have before his strange encounter with Hades.

"Shun," Aphrodite said. "are you alright?"

"I'm fine." Shun replied with a smile. "But I think it's time I battled again." There was silence for a moment.

"A gold saint?" Aphrodite asked.

"Yes."

"Then I'm out." Aphrodite replied. "I already fought you once, and I had my fill of that last time."

Several saints from Shun's time period shifted nervously. It wasn't a secret at all among the gold saints that Shun was extremely powerful. The mariners and those saints not from this time watched them curiously. They hadn't ever seen Shun's full strength. But they wondered why such an obviously small saint would make even gold saints reluctant to step forward and battle. At long last, a challenger stepped forward. His name was Shura. He knew of Shun's strength, though he had never seen it himself, and he knew that his Excalibur was a powerful weapon. He was the saint of Capricorn.

Everyone evacuated the training grounds to make room for the battle. Shura faced Shun, trying to read his power. But the boy just smiled at him as he searched for the seventh sense. Shura wasn't going to wait however. He launched an attack at the boy, using his hand to slice through the air as if it was a sword. Shun dodged it however and landed again, waiting. Shura watched the boy again, and then launched another attack at him. Once again, the boy dodged.

"I know you've seen my Excalibur before. So why don't you fight back?" Shura asked. Shun made no reply. He was almost there. He only needed a little more time...

Shura launched another attack at Shun, only this time, the bronze saint did not evade it. He stood his ground, making several of the saints that did not know him grow nervous. Should they stop the fight? Could he withstand that attack? But the attack hit Shun full on. Or so they thought. Seiya and several others could see that he had blocked it with his chains. It scooted him several feet back, until he dug his feet in and came to a halt. He looked up and watched Shura as he waited for the attack to fade. He had finally found it.

Shun shifted his stance, and Shura knew the battle was over before he even tensed to try and dodge the attack. He knew it was impossible. Seiya watched Shun proudly. He had found it again, and though it hadn't taken long, he knew how difficult it was to find. Still, Shun looked strangely magnificent as behind him, and apparition of Andromeda appeared.

"Nebula Storm!" Shun cried.

An instant later, pink light seemed to sprout from the ground under Shura's feet. Then he was shot into the sky as the lightning in the attack struck him from all sides. He gave out a pained cry as he hit the ground. He knew Shun had been holding back, though it hurt terribly and he found it hard to move. And he knew the battle was over. Several saints ran over to check on him, and Shun frowned a little.

"Oops." he said simply.

"Come on Shun." Seiya called. "Let's go see Saori. I think you've tortured these guys long enough."

Shun nodded and he and Seiya turned and left again. But instead of going towards Saori's temple, they decided to go elsewhere.

They walked until they found themselves almost at the edge of the boundaries of the sanctuary. And only then did they pause to watch the sky as it turned overhead. They stood their silent for a moment, until at last, Shun spoke.

"You know Seiya," he said. "I don't think we'll ever know what true power is."

"Probably not." Seiya agreed. "But everyone has their own power. Mine is in my body, but yours is in your head. Sometimes, I think you're much more powerful than I am."

"But you're stronger than me in a fight." Shun said. Seiya smiled and ruffled his hair.

"That may be true." Seiya said. "But you know when we don't have to fight. So your mind is stronger than my fists will ever be. Sometimes, the greatest gift of man is his mind."

"And sometimes it's a terrible burden..." Shun said quietly.

"That's why we always have someone else to help us along when our minds don't know what to do." Seiya said, gently kissing Shun's cheek. They stood that way for a while, simply thinking. Then suddenly, Hyoga ran up behind them. He paused breathing heavily, and they turned to face him with surprise.

"Hyoga?" Seiya gasped.

"Thank the gods I've found you!" Hyoga gasped. "Something's happened, and Saori, Ikki, Shiryu, and I were worried the two of you would have gotten caught up in it!"

"What?" Shun asked. "What's wrong?"

"There's no time!" Hyoga cried. "Hurry! Come with me to Saori's temple!"

The two boys glanced nervously at each other, and then back to Hyoga. They knew that Hyoga was a very serious person. He wouldn't be so worked up if he wasn't absolutely terrified that something was happening. They nodded, and then followed Hyoga away towards the temple of Athena.

**O.O**

**Random cliff hanger anyone? This chapter was getting kind of long and I had to end it somewhere. Besides, I needed to add some more action back into the story. So, come back when I update this story to see why Hyoga's so worried. Should be a lot of fun!**

**I hope I explained everything so that everything makes sense now. I also hope that my explanation of how Seiya could hear Shun helped make sense of some things. If you have any questions, feel free to post them below or PM me, and I'll get to them just as soon as my schedule will allow.**

**Thanks and I hope you'll continue to support me and read my stories. **

**P.S: I hope I got Shura's constellation right. It's been a while since I watched the show...**


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